Method and apparatus for forward delay compensation for virtual concatenation

1. A method for processing member containers of a virtual concatenation group, comprising:

determining, for each of a plurality of links between a source node and a destination node, a respective delay parameter;

comparing said respective delay parameters to determine thereby a maximum differential delay between said source node and said destination node; and

transmitting said member containers from said source node toward said destination node, wherein a transmission delay is selectively imparted by said source node to at least one of said member containers transmitted from said source node toward said destination node, wherein said transmission delay selectively imparted at said source node is adapted to reduce said maximum differential delay below a threshold level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said threshold level is a correction range value associated with said destination node, said transmission delay only being imparted where said maximum differential delay exceeds said correction range value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said respective delay parameter is proportional to a physical transmission path length.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transmission delay is a function of a difference between said maximum differential delay and said threshold level.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transmission delay is imparted using a buffer in said source node.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a transmission path between said source and destination nodes traverses at least one intervening node;

said maximum differential delay being determined using each of a plurality of inter-node link combinations.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said maximum differential delay is determined by averaging worst case delays associated with at least some of said inter-node links.

8. A first node for processing member containers of a virtual concatenation group for transmission toward a second node, the first node comprising:

a receiver for receiving a plurality of member containers;

a member container distributor coupled to said receiver for receiving said plurality of member containers, and operable to distribute a first portion of said plurality of member containers and a second portion of said plurality of member containers;

a transmission delay buffer coupled to said member container distributor for receiving said second portion of said plurality of member containers, wherein said transmission delay buffer is configured to impart a transmission delay to each member container in said second portion of said plurality of member containers;

a delay controller in communication with said member container distributor for controlling distribution of said plurality of member containers, and coupled to said transmission delay buffer for controlling the operation of said transmission delay buffer, wherein said delay controller is configured to:

determine a respective delay parameter for each of a plurality of links between the first node and the second node;

compare said respective delay parameters to determine thereby a maximum differential delay between said first node and said second node; and

determine a transmission delay to be imparted to at least one of said member containers at said first node to reduce said maximum differential delay; and

a transmitter coupled to said member container distributor for transmitting said first portion of said plurality of member containers received from said member container distributor toward said second node, and coupled to said transmission delay buffer for transmitting said second portion of said plurality of member containers received from said transmission delay buffer toward said second node.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said delay controller is configured to communicate said transmission delay to said member container distributor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said member container distributor is configured to distribute said first portion of said plurality of member containers and said second portion of said plurality of member containers based on said transmission delay.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said transmission delay is zero for said first portion of said plurality of member containers.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said member container distributor is configured to route said first portion of said plurality of member containers to said transmitter.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said transmission delay time is greater than zero for said second portion of said plurality of member containers.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said member container distributor is configured to route said second portion of said plurality of member containers to said transmission delay buffer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said delay controller is configured to communicate said transmission delay to said transmission delay buffer, and said transmission delay buffer is configured to impart said transmission delay to said member container for which said transmission delay was determined.

16. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said transmission delay is a function of a difference between said maximum differential delay and a threshold level.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said threshold level is a correction range value associated with said destination node.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a software program, that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method for processing member containers of a virtual concatenation group, the method comprising:

determining, for each of a plurality of links between a source node and a destination node, a respective delay parameter;

comparing said respective delay parameters to determine thereby a maximum differential delay; and

transmitting said member containers from said source node toward said destination node, wherein a transmission delay is selectively imparted by said source node to at least one of said member containers transmitted from said source node toward said destination node, wherein said transmission delay selectively imparted at said source node is adapted to reduce said maximum differential delay below a threshold level.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein said threshold level is a correction range value associated with said destination node, said transmission delay only being imparted where said maximum differential delay exceeds said correction range value.