Abstract: A system and method for merging multiple connections that share a same class of service into a single virtual circuit (VC) in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network. A queuing apparatus includes multiple connection queues for each of the connections, and further includes a scheduled queue corresponding to a particular class of service, wherein contents of the connection queues are transferred into the scheduled queue before being transmitted on the VC. A reassembly queue control block (RQCB) defines a chain of buffer control blocks for the connection queues. Each buffer control block corresponds to a cell belonging to a packet of a particular connection and includes a next buffer address and a lock bit. The chain of buffer control blocks is transferred to a scheduled queue control block (SQCB) in response the lock bit indicating a last packet cell.

Abstract: A system and method for merging multiple connections that share a same class of service into a single virtual circuit (VC) connecting a first switching node to a second switching node in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network. In accordance with the system of the present invention, a data buffer stores cells that constitute a packet received by a switching node. A queuing apparatus includes multiple connection queues associated respectively with each of the connections, and further includes a scheduled queue corresponding to a particular class of service, wherein contents of the connection queues are transferred into the scheduled queue before being transmitted on the VC. A reassembly queue control block (RQCB) is associated with each of the connection queues, and defines a chain of buffer control blocks. Each buffer control block corresponds to a cell belonging to a packet transmitted in a particular connection.