Claims
- 1. A Virtual Group Connection (VGC) arrangement for grouping Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connections, comprising:
a plurality of Virtual Path Connections (VPCs), each having at least one Virtual Channel Connection (VCC); and a pool of connection resources commonly associated with said plurality of VPCs, wherein said VPCs are operable to be managed as a single virtual pipe.
- 2. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of VCCs separate from said plurality of VPCs, wherein said pool of connection resources are operable to be allocated to cover said plurality of VCCs.
- 3. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of VPCs are established in an ATM switching fabric disposed in an access node.
- 4. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pool of connection resources includes an amount of bandwidth.
- 5. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pool of connection resources includes an amount of buffer space.
- 6. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pool of connection resources includes processor resources.
- 7. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pool of connection resources includes a range of Virtual Path Identifiers (VPIs).
- 8. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pool of connection resources includes a range of Virtual Channel Identifiers (VCIs).
- 9. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means for specifying a predetermined number of ATM connections as said single virtual pipe.
- 10. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 1, wherein said single virtual pipe is associated with a single customer.
- 11. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 10, wherein said single customer is an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
- 12. The VGC arrangement for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 10, wherein said single customer is a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC).
- 13. A Virtual Group Connection (VGC) method for grouping Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connections, comprising the steps:
specifying a number of ATM connections to be grouped together as a single virtual pipe; specifying a pool of connection resources; and associating said pool of connection resources with said single virtual pipe.
- 14. The VGC method for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 13, wherein said pool of connection resources includes an amount of bandwidth.
- 15. The VGC method for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 13, wherein said pool of connection resources includes an amount of buffer space.
- 16. The VGC method for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 13, wherein said pool of connection resources includes processor resources.
- 17. The VGC method for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 13, wherein said pool of connection resources includes a range of Virtual Path Identifiers (VPIs).
- 18. The VGC method for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 13, wherein said pool of connection resources includes a range of Virtual Channel Identifiers (VCIs).
- 19. The VGC method for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 13, wherein said connections comprise Virtual Path Connections (VPCs).
- 20. The VGC method for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 13, wherein said connections comprise Virtual Channel Connections (VCCs).
- 21. The VGC method for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 13, wherein said single virtual pipe is associated with a single customer.
- 22. The VGC method for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 21, wherein said single customer is a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC).
- 23. The VGC method for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 21, wherein said single customer is an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
- 24. A system for grouping Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connections, comprising:
means for specifying a number of ATM connections to be grouped together as a single virtual pipe; means for specifying a pool of connection resources; and means for associating said pool of connection resources with said single virtual pipe.
- 25. The system for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 24, wherein said pool of connection resources includes an amount of bandwidth.
- 26. The system for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 24, wherein said pool of connection resources includes an amount of buffer space.
- 27. The system for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 24, wherein said pool of connection resources includes processor resources.
- 28. The system for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 24, wherein said pool of connection resources includes a range of Virtual Path Identifiers (VPIs).
- 29. The system for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 24, wherein said pool of connection resources includes a range of Virtual Channel Identifiers (VCIs).
- 30. The system for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 24, wherein said connections comprise Virtual Path Connections (VPCs).
- 31. The system for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 24, wherein said connections comprise Virtual Channel Connections (VCCs).
- 32. The system for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 24, wherein said single virtual pipe is associated with a single customer.
- 33. The system for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 32, wherein said single customer is a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC).
- 34. The system for grouping ATM connections as set forth in claim 32, wherein said single customer is an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application discloses subject matter related to the subject matter disclosed in the following commonly owned co-pending U.S. patent applications: (i) “Stackplane Architecture,” filed Dec. 22, 1999, application Ser. No. 09/469,897, in the names of James W. Dove et al.; (ii) “Scalable Architecture For An Access Node,” filed Jun. 27, 2002, application Ser. No. ______, (Attorney Docket No. 1285-0091US), in the name(s) of Eric Friedrichs et al.; (iii) “Integrated Gateway Functionality In An Access Network Element,” filed Nov. 2, 2001, application Ser. No. 10/052,846, in the names of Thornton Collins et al.; (iv) “Multicasting System And Method For Use In An Access Node's ATM Switch Fabric,” filed even date herewith, application Ser. No. ______, (Attorney Docket No. 1285-0100US), in the names of Mudhafar Hassan-Ali et al.; (v) “System And Method For Implementing GFR Service In An Access Node's ATM Switch Fabric,” filed even date herewith, application No. ______, (Attorney Docket No. 1285-0102US), in the names of Mudhafar Hassan-Ali et al.; (vi) “Calendar Heap System And Method For Efficient Sorting,” filed even date herewith, application Ser. No. ______, (Attorney Docket No. 1285-0101US), in the names of Mudhafar Hassan-Ali et al.; (vii) “Hierarchical Scheduler Architecture For Use With An Access Node,” filed even date herewith, application Ser. No.: ______, (Attorney Docket No. 1285-0103US), in the names of Mudhafar Hassan-Ali et al., which are hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.