Patent ID: 6714553
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A process for flexibly connecting between a receive physical path and a transmit physical path the flow of data packets, said process comprising:(a) receiving data packets on said receive physical path; (b) dividing into cells said data packets as received; (c) storing said cells in individual data buffers; (d) linking logically the location of each buffer containing a cell with the location of the buffer containing any immediately subsequent cell divided from the same data packet, wherein said logical linking is performed by setting pointers to said buffer locations containing said cells and setting linking pointers to point to and link said buffer location pointers; (e) maintaining in memory pointers to locations of buffers available for storing cells by setting a next free buffer pointer to the location of the pointer to a first available buffer and setting a pointer from said next free buffer pointer to the location of the pointer to a second available buffer and repeating the process until all available buffers are linked and by resetting said next free buffer pointer to said second available buffer pointer when a cell is stored in said first available buffer (f) scheduling said cells for transmission on said transmit physical path; and (g) transmitting said cells according to said logical linking.