US 6,982,958 B2
Method for transmitting loopback cells through a switching node of an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network
Jose Iruela, St Laurent du Var (France); Daniel Orsatti, LaGaude (France); Bruno Rene Rousseau, Vence (France); Dominique Rigal, Nice (France); and Jean Claude Zunino, Nice (France)
Assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. (US)
Filed on Jan. 03, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/753,931.
Claims priority of application No. 00480022 (EP), filed on Feb. 22, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2001/0015959 A1, Aug. 23, 2001
Int. Cl. H04L 12/56 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 370—236 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for transmitting a loopback cell within a switching node of an ATM connection, said switching node including a first adapter having associated ports and a second adapter having associated ports, wherein said loopback cell enters said switching node by a first adapter port, said system comprising:
processing means within said switching node for detecting a loopback condition when an ATM cell enters said first adapter;
a routing header function for appending a routing label to said ATM cell indicating that said ATM cell is a loopback cell to be looped back on said ATM connection, said routing label being appended to said loopback cell only if a loop control bit is set by a control point of said switching node within said first adapter, and
a switching engine for transferring said loopback cell to said first adapter port utilizing said appended routing label.