Packet switching system, network and method

摘要

Upon initialisation, a VPC is set up between edge nodes. A control processor 9 of each node creates an IP address/VPC mapping table 95 using IP routing information and an address mapping table mapping correspondence between IP addresses and ATM addresses and supplied by a network management system 5. A gateway 3c assigns a VCC to each packet input to the network 4a. A sending-side edge node inputs the packet to the VPC corresponding to its destination by referring to the IP address/VPC mapping table 95. A transit node 2 performs packet switching over VP. A receiving-side edge node 1b transfers each packet to the gateway 3b corresponding to its destination. If a series of packets meet a predetermined condition in a given edge node 1, its control processor 9 sends VCC information to input interfaces 6 of the edge node 1 so that the packets are switched by an ATM switch 8 in the edge node 1 without intervention of the control processor 9.