Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

Communication access apparatus includes a master shelf, including a master switching unit linked to communicate with a high-speed network, and a plurality of slave shelves arranged in a given system topology with respect to the master shelf. Each of the slave shelves includes ports configured to serve network subscribers, and further includes a slave switching unit, coupled to communicate with the master switching unit and to multiplex among the ports so as to provide the subscribers with access to the high-speed network, and to receive from the master shelf management messages that are addressed to an internal network-layer address that is determined uniquely for each of the slave shelves based on the topology. A management station is coupled to convey the management messages to the master shelf over a management network in which at least some of the slave shelves share a common external network-layer address by mapping the internal network-layer address of each of the shelves to a respective transport-layer address.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim