Patent ID: 6128295
Filing Date: 2000-10-03
Classification: H04L,H04Q,Y10S

Abstract:
An Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switching device through which ATM cells are routed to one or more of a plurality of physical output links, the switching device comprising:a plurality of pointer queues respectively corresponding to the plurality of physical output links;a cell memory wherein ATM cells destined are stored, the cell memory having stored therein ATM cells destined for output on differing ones of the physical output links;wherein pointers are stored in a selected pointer queue corresponding to a selected physical output link, the pointer serving to locate in the cell memory an output-destined ATM cell for the selected physical output link;a connection data record memory wherein is stored:a first connection data record for each cell, the first connection data record having stored therein a next leaf pointer for each of the physical output links which are active for the cell as well as an indicator of which physical output links are active for the cell; anda second connection data record which, for an active one of the physical output links, is pointed to by the next leaf pointer of the first connection data record for the respective physical output link, the second connection data record having stored therein a last leaf flag which indicates whether there is a further connection data record for the respective physical output link, the second connection data record having a further next leaf pointer stored therein in the case that the last leaf flag of the second connection data record indicates there is a further connection data record, the further next leaf pointer pointing to the further connection data record.