초록 ▼

The present invention is directed to the aggregation of data packets and to super packets for transmission across a communication network. In accordance with the present invention, an identifier associated with individual data packets is examined to determine whether such individual packet is suita

The present invention is directed to the aggregation of data packets and to super packets for transmission across a communication network. In accordance with the present invention, an identifier associated with individual data packets is examined to determine whether such individual packet is suitable for inclusion in a super packet containing data packets associated with individual data flows. The identification may be included within a field established for a purpose other than marking an individual data packet in connection with forming aggregate packets. In particular, preexisting data fields may be utilized to identify packets for purposes of forming aggregate data streams.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for multiplexing packet data transmissions, comprising: assigning an identifier to a first network element, wherein said identifier identifies said first network element, and wherein said identifier is not an Internet Protocol address of said first network element; a

What is claimed is: 1. A method for multiplexing packet data transmissions, comprising: assigning an identifier to a first network element, wherein said identifier identifies said first network element, and wherein said identifier is not an Internet Protocol address of said first network element; associating in at least a second network element said identifier with a plurality of data packets, wherein said identifier is not included in a destination address field of any of said plurality of data packets; recognizing in at least a third network element said identifier with respect to said plurality of data packets, wherein said identifier indicates to said third network element that data packets associated with said identifier can be aggregated with one another, and wherein said third network element aggregates said plurality of data packets, and wherein said third network element is not required to consider information in a destination address field in order to recognize data packets that can be aggregated with one another; aggregating in said third network element said plurality of data packets associated with said identifier together into a bundle of data packets; and addressing said bundle of data packets to said first network element. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said third network element comprises a packet data multiplexer. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said packet data multiplexer comprises a router. 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising: sending said bundle of data packets to said first network element; deaggregating said plurality of data packets; delivering a first of said plurality of data packets to a first receiving communication device; and delivering a second of said plurality of data packets to s second receiving communication device. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier is communicated using a field established in connection with at least a first protocol for a purpose other than communicating said identifier. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier comprises a virtual local area network identifier. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said virtual local area network identifier is associated with said data packets by writing said identifier as part of a medium access control for said data packets. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier comprises a DiffServ Code Point. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier comprises a resource reservation protocol request. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of associating a plurality of data packets with said identifier comprises associating said identifier with a first data packet in a first originating communication device and associating said identifier with a second data packet in a second originating communication device. 11. A system for multiplexing packet data transmissions, comprising: at least first communication device means for forming data packets and for marking said data packets with a first identifier using an existing data field, wherein said existing data field is not an Internet Protocol address field, wherein said existing data field is not a destination address field, and wherein said first identifier identifies a first network element; first means for recognizing said first identifier marking said data packets and for aggregating first and second data packets associated with said first identifier into a super packet, wherein said first identifier indicates to said first means for recognizing that said data packets marked with said first identifier can be aggregated with one another, and wherein said first identifier is the only information required by said first means for recognizing in order to aggregate said first and second data packets; means for interconnecting said first means for recognizing said first identifier marking said data packets and for aggregating to a communication network, wherein said super packet including said aggregated data packets marked with said first identifier may be transmitted to a remote subnetwork. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said existing data field is not an Internet protocol address field. 13. The system of claim 11, further comprising: means for associating a remote subnetwork with said identifier. 14. The system of claim 11, further comprising: means for deaggregating said super packet. 15. A data multiplexer comprising: an interface, wherein a plurality of packets marked with a first identifier and containing a destination address other than said first identifier are received by said interface, wherein said first identifier identifies a first network element, wherein said first identifier is not an Internet Protocol address, and wherein said first identifier is not included in a destination address field of any of said plurality of packets marked with said first identifier; and a processor running operating code, wherein said plurality of data packets marked with said first identifier are aggregated into a super packet and provided to said interface for delivery to said first network element, wherein said first identifier indicates to said processor running operating code that said packets marked with said first identifier can be aggregated with one another into a super packet for delivery to said first network element, and wherein said processor running operating code aggregates said plurality of data packets marked with said first identifier without regard to a destination address of any of said plurality of data packets. 16. The data multiplexer of claim 15, wherein said interface comprises an input from a first communication network and an output to at least one of a router and a second communication network. 17. The data multiplexer of claim 15, further comprising: data storage, wherein said operating code comprises software. 18. A method for multiplexing packet data transmissions, comprising: receiving a first data packet containing a first destination address in a first field comprising an address field and a first identifier in a second field, wherein said first identifier identifies a first network element having a second destination address, wherein said second field is defined by at least a first network protocol as being for purposes other than communicating an identifier identifying a network element, wherein said first identifier is not an Internet Protocol address, wherein said second destination address of said first network element is different than said first destination address, and wherein said second field of said first data packet having said first identifier is not a destination address field; receiving a second data packet containing at least one of said first destination address and a third destination address in a first field comprising an address field and said first identifier in a second field, wherein said second field of said second data packet is not a destination address field; and forming a super packet containing as a payload said first and second data packets, wherein said super packet contains said second destination address in an address field, wherein said first identifier indicates that said first and second data packets containing said first identifier in a second field can be aggregated with one another, and wherein forming a super packet is performed without consideration of said address field of said first data packet or of said address field of said second data packet. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein said second field comprises a virtual local area network identifier field. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein said second field comprises a differential service code point field. 21. The method of claim 18, wherein said second field comprises a resource reservation protocol field. 22. The method of claim 18, wherein said second field comprises a resource reservation protocol DCLASS object field. 23. The method of claim 18, wherein said second field comprises a session initiation protocol field. 24. The method of claim 18, wherein said first network element comprises a multiplexer on a remote subnetwork. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein said first destination address comprises an endpoint on said remote subnetwork. 26. The method of claim 18, wherein said first and second data packets each include a payload comprising data. 27. The method of claim 18, wherein said computational component comprises a computer readable storage medium carrying instructions for performing the method. 28. A method for identifying data packets for multiplexing, comprising: receiving at a first multiplexer a first request to reserve resources for a first packet data flow; determining from said request a destination for said first data packet flow; receiving at said first multiplexer a second request to reserve resources for a second packet data flow; determining from said request a destination for said second data packet flow; receiving at said first multiplexer a first data packet marked with a first DiffServ Code Point value as part of said first data packet flow, wherein said first DiffServ Code Point value is assigned to identify a first remote subnetwork, wherein said DiffServ Code Point value is not a destination address, and wherein said DiffServ Code Point value is not included in a destination address field of said first data packet of said first data packet flow; receiving at said first multiplexer a first data packet marked with said first DiffServ Code Point value as part of said second data packet flow, wherein said first DiffServ Code Point value is assigned to identify a first remote subnetwork, wherein said DiffServ Code Point value is not a destination address, and wherein said DiffServ Code Point value is not included in a destination address field of said first data packet of said second data packet flow; in response to determining that said first data packet received as part of said first data packet flow and said first data packet received as part of said second data packet flow are both marked with said first DiffServ Code Point value, aggregating at least said first data packet from said first data packet flow with said first data packet from said second data packet flow to form a super packet, wherein said first DiffServ Code Point value indicates to said first multiplexer that said first data packet marked with said first DiffServ Code Point value received at said first multiplexer as part of said first data packet flow and said first data packet marked with said first DiffServ Code Point value received at said first multiplexer as part of said second data packet flow can be aggregated with one another to form said super packet, and wherein an address field of said first data packet of said first data packet flow and an address field of said first data packet of said second data packet flow are not considered in connection with aggregating at least said first data packet from said first data packet flow with said first data packet from said second data packet flow to form a super packet; and sending said super packet to a second multiplexer associated with said first subnetwork under a single resource reservation. 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: in response to receiving said first request to reserve resources, providing a first identifier comprising said first DiffServ Code Point to a first communication device and associated with said first request are marked with said first identifier. 30. The method of claim 28, wherein said single resource reservation requests a first quantity of resources. 31. The method of claim 30, further comprising: receiving at said multiplexer a third request to reserve resources for a third packet data flow, wherein said single reservation requests a second quantity of resources. 32. A method for identifying data packets for multiplexing, comprising: receiving at a first multiplexer at least a first setup packet associated with a first packet data flow; determining from said at least a first setup packet a destination for said first data packet flow; receiving at said first multiplexer at least a second setup packet associated with a second packet data flow; determining from said at least a second, setup packet a destination for said second data packet flow; associating a first identifier with a first subnetwork, wherein said first identifier is not an Internet Protocol address; receiving a first data packet associated with said first identifier and said first data packet flow at said first multiplexer, wherein said first identifier is not included in a destination address field of said first data packet of said first data packet flow; receiving a first data packet associated with said first identifier and said second data packet flow at said first multiplexer, wherein said first identifier is not included in a destination address field of said first data packet of said second data packet flow; in response to detecting said first identifier with respect to said first data packet associated with said first data packet flow and said first identifier with respect to said first data packet associated with said second data packet flow, aggregating at least said first data packet from said first data packet flow with said first data packet from said second data packet flow to form a super packet, wherein said first identifier alone indicates to said first multiplexer that said first data packet associated with said first identifier and said first data packet flow and said first data packet associated with said first identifier and said second data packet flow can be aggregated with one another to form said super packet; and sending said super packet to a second multiplexer associated with said first subnetwork. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein said setup packet comprises at least one of a session initiation protocol and an H.323 protocol packet. 34. A method for aggregating multiple packet data flows, comprising: sending a first RSVP request associated with a first data packet flow from a first communication device to a first multiplexer; determining by the first multiplexer a destination of the first data packet flow; assigning by the first multiplexer the first data packet flow to a first aggregate flow; sending from the first multiplexer to the first communication device a return reservation message, wherein a first RSVP flow for the first data packet flow is established; sending a first data packet of the first data packet flow containing a first identifier indicating that the first data packet is associated with the first RSVP flow from the first communication device to the first multiplexer, wherein the first identifier indicating that the first data packet is associated with the first RSVP flow is not included in a destination address field of the first data packet of the first data packet flow; recognizing in the first multiplexer the first identifier; aggregating the first data packet from the first communication device with a second data packet from a second data packet flow into a first super packet; and transmitting the first super packet from the first multiplexer to a remote multiplexer as part of a first aggregate flow, wherein the first aggregate flow is made under an RSVP reservation between the first multiplexer and the remote multiplexer, the method further comprising: discontinuing the first data packet flow; after discontinuing the first data packet flow, continuing to maintain the first aggregate flow between the first multiplexer and the remote multiplexer. 35. The method of claim 34, further comprising: sending a second RSVP request associated with the second data packet flow from a second communication device to the first multiplexer; determining by the first multiplexer a destination of the second data packet flow; assigning by the first multiplexer the second data packet flow to the first aggregate flow; sending from the first multiplexer to the second communication device a return reservation message, wherein a second RSVP flow for the second data packet flow is established; sending a first data packet of the second data packet flow containing a second identifier indicating that the first data packet is associated with the second RSVP flow from the second communication device to the first multiplexer, wherein the second identifier indicating that the first data packet is associated with the second RSVP flow is not included in a destination address field of the first data packet of the second data packet flow; recognizing in the first multiplexer the second identifier, wherein the first data packet from the second communication device is aggregated with the first data packet from the first communication device into the first super packet.