System and method of routing data packets using trunk ports and access ports

1. A method of routing data packets of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system, the method comprising:

receiving a first Internet Protocol (IP) data packet at a first access port of an access line card within a data router;

transmitting the first IP data packet from the first access port to a network line card within the data router, via a first trunk port of the access line card, wherein the first access port is coupled to the first trunk port and not coupled to at least one other access port;

receiving a second IP data packet at a second trunk port of the access line card from the network line card; and

transmitting the second IP data packet from the second trunk port to a second access port of the access line card.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a destination address of the first IP data packet.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising routing the first IP data packet to the first trunk port based at least partially on the destination address.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first trunk port is coupled to the network line card to communicate the first IP data packet to a device having the destination address.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising routing the first IP data packet to the network line card when the destination address is a first destination address and routing the IP data packet to another network line card when the destination address is another destination address.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising routing the first data packet from an external interface of the access line card to the first access port.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising allowing the first access port to communicate the first IP data packet to the first trunk port during a first transmission interval.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising allowing the second access port to communicate the second IP data packet to an external interface of the access line card during a second transmission interval.

9. An access line card within a data router, the access line card comprising:

a first plurality of access ports;

a second plurality of access ports;

a first plurality of trunk ports;

a second plurality of trunk ports;

wherein each of the first plurality of access ports is configured to communicate with the first plurality of trunk ports, but not to communicate with any other of the first plurality of access ports or with any of the second plurality of access ports;

wherein each of the second plurality of access ports is configured to communicate with the second plurality of trunk ports, but not to communicate with any other of the second plurality of access ports or with any of the first plurality of access ports; and

wherein the first plurality of trunk ports and the second plurality of trunk ports are configured to communicate with at least one network line card.

10. The access line card of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of trunk ports comprises a plurality of egress trunk ports configured to receive data packets from each of the first plurality of access ports and to communicate the data packets to the at least one network line card.

11. The access line card of claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of access ports comprises a plurality of ingress access ports, each of the plurality of ingress access ports configured to receive the data packets from at least one network device via at least one first external interface and to transmit the data packets to at least one of the plurality of egress trunk ports.

12. The access line card of claim 9 , wherein the second plurality of trunk ports comprises a plurality of ingress trunk ports configured to receive data packets from the at least one network line card and to communicate the data packets to each of the second plurality of access ports.

13. The access line card of claim 12 , wherein the second plurality of access ports comprises a plurality of egress access ports, each of the plurality of egress access ports configured to receive the data packets from the plurality of ingress trunk ports and to transmit the data packets to the at least one network device via at least one second external interface.

14. The access line card of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of trunk ports comprises a first pair of trunk ports and the second plurality of trunk ports comprises a second pair of trunk ports.

15. The access line card of claim 14 , wherein one of the first pair of trunk ports and one of the second pair of trunk ports are configured to communicate with a first network line card, and another of the first pair of trunk ports and another of the second pair of trunk ports are configured to communicate with a second network line card.

16. The access line card of claim 9 , further comprising routing logic configured to selectively direct data transmission from each of the first plurality of access ports to each of the first plurality of trunk ports and from each of the second plurality of trunk ports to each of the second plurality of access ports.

17. The access line card of claim 16 , wherein the routing logic directs data transmission according to a round robin process.

18. The access line card of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first plurality of trunk ports and at least one of the second plurality of trunk ports are coupled to the at least one network line card via high-speed serial links.

19. The access line card of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of trunk ports, the second plurality of trunk ports, or any combination thereof, is configured to operate as a single logical trunk port.

20. A method of sending and receiving data packets of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system, the method comprising:

transmitting a first Internet Protocol (IP) data packet to an access line card of an IP data router;

wherein a first access port of the access line card communicates the first IP data packet to a network line card within the IP data router, via a first trunk port of the access line card, the first access port coupled to the first trunk port but not coupled to at least one other access port; and

receiving a second IP data packet from the access line card.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the IP data router comprises a layer two router.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the IP data router comprises a multicast-enabled router.

23. A data router, comprising:

a first access line card having:

a first plurality of access ports, a second plurality of access ports, a first plurality of trunk ports, and a second plurality of trunk ports;

wherein each of the first plurality of access ports is configured to communicate with the first plurality of trunk ports, but not to communicate with any other of the first plurality of access ports or with any of the second plurality of access ports;

wherein each of the second plurality of access ports is configured to communicate with the second plurality of trunk ports, but not to communicate with any other of the second plurality of access ports or with any of the first plurality of access ports; and

wherein the first plurality of trunk ports and the second plurality of trunk ports are configured to communicate with at least one network line card; and

a second access line card having:

a third plurality of access ports, a fourth plurality of access ports, a third plurality of trunk ports, and a fourth plurality of trunk ports;

wherein each of the third plurality of access ports is configured to communicate with the third plurality of trunk ports, but not to communicate with any other of the third plurality of access ports or with any of the fourth plurality of access ports;

wherein each of the fourth plurality of access ports is configured to communicate with the fourth plurality of trunk ports, but not to communicate with any other of the fourth plurality of access ports or with any of the third plurality of access ports; and

wherein the third plurality of trunk ports and the fourth plurality of trunk ports are configured to communicate with the at least one network line card.

24. The data router of claim 23 , wherein the first access line card and the second access line card communicate with the at least one network line card via high-speed serial links within a backplane of the data router.

25. An access line card within a data router, the access line card comprising:

a first plurality of access ports;

a second plurality of access ports;

a first trunk port;

a second trunk port;

wherein each of the first plurality of access ports is configured to communicate with the first trunk port, but not to communicate with any other of the first plurality of access ports or with any of the second plurality of access ports;

wherein each of the second plurality of access ports is configured to communicate with the second trunk port, but not to communicate with any other of the second plurality of access ports or with any of the first plurality of access ports; and

wherein the first trunk port and the second trunk port are configured to communicate with a network line card.

26. The access line card of claim 25 , wherein the data router is an Internet Protocol (IP) data router.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising instructions operable, when executed by a processor, to:

route a first Internet Protocol (IP) data packet received at one of a plurality of first access ports of an access line card of an IP data router, to a network line card within the IP data router, via one of a plurality of first trunk ports of the access line card, wherein each of the plurality of first access ports is configured to communicate with each of the plurality of first trunk ports and to not communicate with any other access port; and

route a second IP data packet received at one of a plurality of second trunk ports of the access line card, from the network line card, to one of a plurality of second access ports of the access line card.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 , wherein each of the plurality of second access ports is configured to communicate with each of the plurality of second trunk ports and to not communicate with any of the plurality of first access ports.