Facilitating inverse multiplexing over asynchronous transfer mode via communication links having disparate data transimission rates

A method for facilitating inverse multiplexing over asynchronous transfer mode, comprising:

• receiving a stream of sequentially aligned ATM cells via an originating end point logical communication link, wherein the stream of sequentially aligned ATM cells is received at a transmitter queue selector and the transmitter queue selector is capable of enabling the first portion and the second portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells to be added to the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue, respectively;
• associating a sequence identifier with each one of said ATM cells for creating sequence-identified ATM cells, wherein associating the sequence identifier with each one of said ATM cells includes identifying when a particular sequence identifier results in a header portion bit value that corresponds to a reference bit value designating a reference function and preventing the particular sequence identifier from being associated with any one of said ATM cells;
• specifying a cell capacity of a first transmitter queue and a cell capacity of a second transmitter queue, wherein the cell capacity of the first transmitter queue and the cell capacity of the second transmitter queue are based on a reference data transmission rate of the first one of the plurality of IM communication links and to a reference data transmission rate of the second one of the plurality of IM communication links, respectively;
• holding a first portion and a second portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells in the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue, respectively, wherein the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue are associated with a first one and a second one, respectively, of a plurality of IM communication links;
• sequentially forwarding said sequence-identified ATM cells from each said queue over said associated one of the plurality of IM communication links, wherein the first one of the plurality of IM communication links has a data transmission rate disparate in at least one data transmission direction with respect to a data transmission rate of the second one of the plurality of IM communication links;
• receiving at least a portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells by a receiver;
• determining a receiver queue position associated with each one of said sequence-identified ATM cells in response to receiving each one of said sequence-identified ATM cells;
• and
• forwarding an aligned stream of inversely multiplexed ATM cells from the receiver across a destination endpoint logical communication link.

A data processor program product, comprising:

• a first data processor program processable by a first data processor;
• a first apparatus from which the first data processor program is accessible by the first data processor;
• and
• the first data processor program being capable of enabling the first data processor to facilitate:
• receiving a stream of sequentially aligned ATM cells via an originating end point logical communication link;
• associating a sequence identifier with each one of said ATM cells for creating sequence-identified ATM cells;
• holding a first portion and a second portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells in a first transmitter queue and a second transmitter queue, respectively, wherein the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue are associated with a first one and a second one, respectively, of a plurality of IM communication links;
• and
• sequentially forwarding said sequence-identified ATM cells from each said queue over said associated one of the plurality of IM communication links, wherein the first one of the plurality of IM communication links has a data transmission rate disparate in at least one data transmission direction with respect to a data transmission rate of the second one of the plurality of IM communication links.

A data processor program product, comprising:

• a first data processor program processable by a first data processor;
• a second data processor program processable by a second data processor
• a first apparatus from which the first data processor program is accessible by the first data processor;
• a second apparatus from which the second data processor program is accessible by the second data processor;
• the first data processor program being capable of enabling the first data processor to facilitate:
• receiving a stream of sequentially aligned ATM cells via an originating end point logical communication link, wherein the stream of sequentially aligned ATM cells is received at a transmitter queue selector and the transmitter queue selector is capable of enabling the first portion and the second portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells to be added to the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue, respectively;
• associating a sequence identifier with each one of said ATM cells for creating sequence-identified ATM cells, wherein associating the sequence identifier with each one of said ATM cells includes identifying when a particular sequence identifier results in a header portion bit value that corresponds to a reference bit value designating a reference function and preventing the particular sequence identifier from being associated with any one of said ATM cells;
• specifying a cell capacity of a first transmitter queue and a cell capacity of a second transmitter queue, wherein the cell capacity of the first transmitter queue and the cell capacity of the second transmitter queue are based on a reference data transmission rate of the first one of the plurality of IM communication links and to a reference data transmission rate of the second one of the plurality of IM communication links, respectively;
• holding a first portion and a second portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells in the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue, respectively, wherein the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue are associated with a first one and a second one, respectively, of a plurality of IM communication links;
• and
• sequentially forwarding said sequence-identified ATM cells from each said queue over said associated one of the plurality of IM communication links, wherein the first one of the plurality of IM communication links has a data transmission rate disparate in at least one data transmission direction with respect to a data transmission rate of the second one of the plurality of IM communication links;
• and
• the second data processor program being capable of enabling the second data processor to facilitate:
• receiving at least a portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells;
• determining a receiver queue position associated with each one of said sequence-identified ATM cells in response to receiving each one of said sequence-identified ATM cells;
• and
• forwarding an aligned stream of inversely multiplexed ATM cells from the receiver across a destination endpoint logical communication link.

An inverse multiplexing capable communication system, comprising:

• a first communication apparatus including a first transmitter queue and a second transmitter queue, wherein the first communication apparatus is capable of being coupled between an originating endpoint logical communication link and a plurality of IM communication links;
• and
• a first data processor program processable by a first data processor of the first communication apparatus;
• the first data processor program being capable of enabling the first communication apparatus to facilitate:
• receiving a stream of sequentially aligned ATM cells via the originating end point logical communication link;
• associating a sequence identifier with each one of said ATM cells for creating sequence-identified ATM cells;
• holding a first portion and a second portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells in the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue, respectively, wherein the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue are associated with a first one and a second one, respectively, of the plurality of IM communication links;
• and
• sequentially forwarding said sequence-identified ATM cells from each said queue over said associated one of the plurality of IM communication links, wherein the first one of the plurality of IM communication links has a data transmission rate disparate in at least one data transmission direction with respect to a data transmission rate of the second one of the plurality of IM communication links.

The inverse multiplexing capable communication system of claim 64 wherein:

• the first communication apparatus further includes a transmitter queue selector;
• enabling the first communication apparatus to facilitate receiving the stream of sequentially aligned ATM cells includes enabling the first communication apparatus to facilitate receiving the stream of sequentially aligned ATM cells at the transmitter queue selector;
• and
• the transmitter queue selector is capable of enabling the first portion and the second portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells to be added to the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue, respectively.

An inverse multiplexing capable communication system, comprising:

• a first communication apparatus including a first transmitter queue and a second transmitter queue, wherein the first communication apparatus is capable of being coupled between an originating endpoint logical communication link and a plurality of IM communication links;
• a second communication apparatus capable of being coupled between a destination endpoint logical communication link and the plurality of IM communication links;
• a first data processor program processable by the first communication apparatus;
• a second data processor program processable by the second communication apparatus;
• the first data processor program being capable of enabling the first communication apparatus to facilitate:
• receiving a stream of sequentially aligned ATM cells via an originating end point logical communication link, wherein the stream of sequentially aligned ATM cells is received at a transmitter queue selector and the transmitter queue selector is capable of enabling the first portion and the second portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells to be added to the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue, respectively;
• associating a sequence identifier with each one of said ATM cells for creating sequence-identified ATM cells, wherein associating the sequence identifier with each one of said ATM cells includes identifying when a particular sequence identifier results in a header portion bit value that corresponds to a reference bit value designating a reference function and preventing the particular sequence identifier from being associated with any one of said ATM cells;
• specifying a cell capacity of a first transmitter queue and a cell capacity of a second transmitter queue, wherein the cell capacity of the first transmitter queue and the cell capacity of the second transmitter queue are based on a reference data transmission rate of the first one of the plurality of IM communication links and to a reference data transmission rate of the second one of the plurality of IM communication links, respectively;
• holding a first portion and a second portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells in the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue, respectively, wherein the first transmitter queue and the second transmitter queue are associated with a first one and a second one, respectively, of the plurality of IM communication links;
• and
• sequentially forwarding said sequence-identified ATM cells from each said queue over said associated one of the plurality of IM communication links, wherein the first one of the plurality of IM communication links has a data transmission rate disparate in at least one data transmission direction with respect to a data transmission rate of the second one of the plurality of IM communication links;
• and
• the second data processor program being capable of enabling the second communication apparatus to facilitate:
• receiving at least a portion of said sequence-identified ATM cells;
• determining a receiver queue position associated with each one of said sequence-identified ATM cells in response to receiving each one of said sequence-identified ATM cells;
• and
• forwarding an aligned stream of inversely multiplexed ATM cells from the receiver across the destination endpoint logical communication link.