Facilitating inverse multiplexing over asynchronous transfer mode via communication links having disparate data transmission 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 wit 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 JIM 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;
• specifying a cell capacity of the first transmitter queue and a cell capacity of the 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;
• 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;
• specifying a cell capacity of the first transmitter queue and a cell capacity of the 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;
• 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.

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 steam 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.