Patent ID: 6243382
Filing Date: 2001-06-05
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
Switching apparatus, for use in an ATM network, comprising:a switch fabric for switching ATM cells;a reassembly portion for reassembling packets from ATM cells; anda traffic management portion connected for receiving ATM cells delivered to the apparatus and also connected by a first data delivery path to said switch fabric and by a second data delivery path, separate from the first data delivery path, to said reassembly portion, and operable to identify as respective reassembly cells those cells amongst the received ATM cells that require reassembly by the reassembly portion, and to deliver received cells other than such identified reassembly cells to the switch fabric via said first data delivery path for switching by said switch fabric and to deliver said reassembly cells to said reassembly portion via said second data delivery path for reassembly into packets by the reassembly portion.