Abstract: A system and method for flushing cells in an ATM network sets an interval timer during which it would be expected that an active physical output would indicate it could accept a cell. When an interval elapses, a physical output that has not indicated it is ready to accept a cell is marked as disabled and may remain so until the output is reset. Cells in an output queue to a disabled cell are flushed during periods when no higher priority cells are available to be sent.

Abstract: An UTOPIA level 2 interface over a backplane for connecting up to 31 Physical layer devices to one ATM layer device in a logically partitioned manner utilizing full bandwidth. The communications data is received on a first terminal at a first transfer rate. The communications data transfer rate is reduced from the first transfer rate to a second transfer rate. At the second transfer rate, the communications data is transferred over a backplane to a second terminal. On the second terminal, communications data transfer rate is increased from the second transfer rate to the first transfer rate. The first transfer rate is greater than the second transfer rate.

Abstract: A congestion detection system and method for an advanced ATM network measures congestion in a number of dimensions. In one embodiment, cell traffic is measured on a per virtual channel basis, per service class queue basis and a per device basis within an input routing table, and additionally on a per virtual output and per service class basis within an output routing table. In a specific embodiment, upon each measurement, cell traffic is compared to thresholds corresponding to that measurement's congested and maximum limit and a congestion or maximum signal is sent if that threshold is exceeded.