Patent ID: 7801934
Filing Date: 2010-09-21
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for use in implementing virtual concatenation operations in a data communication network, the apparatus comprising: a network element comprising virtual concatenation circuitry; the virtual concatenation circuitry being operative: (i) to maintain, for each of a plurality of member streams of a virtual concatenation stream, a corresponding counter which tracks pointer adjustments for that member stream; and (ii) to generate pointers based on values of the counters so as to substantially equalize incoming and outgoing pointer adjustments for the member streams at the network element; wherein the virtual concatenation circuitry further comprises: a data buffer; and a delay compensation element coupled to a data buffer, the delay compensation element comprising a write data controller and a read data controller; wherein the data buffer comprises a set of buffers having a buffer for each of the member streams, a given one of the data buffers being coupled between a corresponding data output of the write data controller and a corresponding data input of the read data controller; and wherein each of the counters has an input coupled to a counter control output of the write data controller and an output coupled to a count input of the read data controller, and further wherein each of the counters has an additional input coupled to a counter control output of the read data controller.