Importance

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Abstract

A system and method provides Link Aggregation that internalizes the link aggregation to improve internal traffic capacity, in addition to sharing traffic across external links to connecting packet systems. A system for handling data traffic comprises a plurality of network switches, each network switch having an interface to a packet network, the interface arranged so as to provide at least one link aggregation group, an interface to at least one other network switch, and an interface to each of a plurality of optical network service units, a plurality of optical network service units, each optical network service units having an interface to each of the plurality of network switches and an interface to at least one optical network, wherein each network switch is operable to receive data over a link aggregation group from the packet network and transmit the data to at least one optical network service unit either directly or via another network switch based on an optical network to which the data is destined (or other criteria) Also, each optical network service unit can send upstream data to any port of either network switch- via selected internal paths.

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First Claim