SORTED MERGE OF STREAMING DATA

A method for sorting and merging data from at least two sources may include providing a multi-state merge of queues from a first input queue and a second input queue to a merged output, responsive to states of the first and second input queues, setting the state of the first input queue; preventing merging of the first input queue with the non-empty second input queue while the state of the first input queue is empty waiting; and merging the first input queue with the non-empty second input queue responsive to the state of the first input queue being active or ignore, or the wait duration time being exceeded, or in response to a startup command.