Frank M Barnes

US Patent:

6757731, Jun 29, 2004

Filed:

Jan 6, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/478391

Inventors:

Frank Barnes - Nashua NH
Sandipan Basu - Burlington MA
Donald McGinley - New Boston NH
Richard Crump - Boston MA
Arvind Kukreja - Burlington MA

Assignee:

Nortel Networks Limited

International Classification:

G06F 1516

US Classification:

709227, 709230, 709236, 709240, 370469, 370389

Abstract:

A system, device, and method for interfacing multiple protocol stacks in a communication network utilizes a virtual circuit subsystem to interconnect protocol stacks internally within a network device. The virtual circuit subsystem establishes a virtual connection between at least a first protocol of a first protocol stack and a second protocol of a second protocol stack. The virtual circuit subsystem enables messages to be exchanged between the first protocol of the first protocol stack and the second protocol of the second protocol stack over the virtual connection. Specifically, the virtual circuit subsystem converts a transmitted message received from the first protocol into a received message for the second protocol, and converts a transmitted message received from the second protocol into a received message for the first protocol.