template <  typename IN_PORT_TYPE, typename OUT_PORT_TYPE > int copy_octet_base::_transformerServiceFunction( typename  std::vector< gr_istream< IN_PORT_TYPE > > &istreams ,
											typename  std::vector< gr_ostream< OUT_PORT_TYPE > > &ostreams  )
{
  typedef typename std::vector< gr_istream< IN_PORT_TYPE > >   _IStreamList;
  typedef typename std::vector< gr_ostream< OUT_PORT_TYPE > >  _OStreamList;

  boost::mutex::scoped_lock lock(serviceThreadLock);

  if ( validGRBlock() == false ) {

    // create our processing block, and setup  property notifiers
    createBlock();

    // create input/output port-stream mapping
    setupIOMappings();

    LOG_DEBUG( copy_octet_base, " FINISHED BUILDING  GNU RADIO BLOCK");
  }
 
  //process any Stream ID changes this could affect number of io streams
  processStreamIdChanges();

  if ( !validGRBlock() || istreams.size() == 0 || ostreams.size() == 0  ) {
    LOG_WARN(copy_octet_base, "NO STREAMS ATTACHED TO BLOCK..." );
    return NOOP;
  }

  _input_ready.resize( istreams.size() );
  _ninput_items_required.resize( istreams.size() );
  _ninput_items.resize( istreams.size() );
  _input_items.resize( istreams.size() );
  _output_items.resize( ostreams.size() );

  //
  // RESOLVE: need to look at forecast strategy, 
  //    1)  see how many read items are necessary for N number of outputs
  //    2)  read input data and see how much output we can produce
  //

  //
  // Grab available data from input streams
  //
  typename _OStreamList::iterator ostream;
  typename _IStreamList::iterator istream = istreams.begin();
  int nitems=0;
  for ( int idx=0 ; istream != istreams.end() && serviceThread->threadRunning() ; idx++, istream++ ) {
    // note this a blocking read that can cause deadlocks
    nitems = istream->read();
    
    if ( istream->overrun() ) {
      LOG_WARN( copy_octet_base, " NOT KEEPING UP WITH STREAM ID:" << istream->streamID );
    }

    if ( istream->sriChanged() ) {
      // RESOLVE - need to look at how SRI changes can affect Gnu Radio BLOCK state
      LOG_DEBUG( copy_octet_base, "SRI CHANGED, STREAMD IDX/ID: " 
               << idx << "/" << istream->pkt->streamID );
      setOutputStreamSRI( idx, istream->pkt->SRI );
    }

  }

  LOG_TRACE( copy_octet_base, "READ NITEMS: "  << nitems );
  if ( nitems <= 0 && !_istreams[0].eos() ) return NOOP;

  bool exitServiceFunction = false;
  bool eos = false;
  int  nout = 0;
  while ( nout > -1 && !exitServiceFunction && serviceThread->threadRunning() ) {

    eos = false;
    nout = _forecastAndProcess( eos, istreams, ostreams );
    if ( nout > -1  ) {

      // we chunked on data so move read pointer..
      istream = istreams.begin();
      for ( ; istream != istreams.end(); istream++ ) {
	int idx=std::distance( istreams.begin(), istream );
	// if we processed data for this stream
	if ( _input_ready[idx] ) {
	  size_t nitems = 0;
	  try {
	    nitems = gr_sptr->nitems_read( idx );
	  }
	  catch(...){}
      
	  istream->consume( nitems );
	  LOG_TRACE( copy_octet_base, " CONSUME READ DATA  ITEMS/REMAIN " << nitems << "/" << istream->nitems());
	}

      }
      gr_sptr->reset_read_index();
    }

    // check for not enough data return
    if ( nout == -1 ) {

      // check for  end of stream
      istream = istreams.begin();
      for ( ; istream != istreams.end() ; istream++) if ( istream->eos() ) eos=true;

      if ( eos ) {
        LOG_TRACE(  copy_octet_base, " DATA NOT READY, EOS:" << eos );
	_forecastAndProcess( eos, istreams, ostreams);
      }

      exitServiceFunction = true;
    }

  }

  if ( eos ) {

    istream = istreams.begin();
    for ( ; istream != istreams.end() ; ) {

      int idx=std::distance( istreams.begin(), istream );
      if (  istream->eos() || eos == true ) {
	LOG_DEBUG( copy_octet_base, " CLOSING INPUT STREAM IDX:" << idx );
         istream->close();
         //
         // if we are variable input list of input streams and fixed output...... humm
         //
         if ( gr_sptr->get_max_input_streams() == -1 ) {
            LOG_DEBUG( copy_octet_base, " REMOVE VARIABLE INPUT STREAM IDX:" << idx );
            istream=istreams.erase( istream );
            gr_sptr->remove_read_index( idx );

	    // if output is variable then close the corresponding output stream
	    if ( gr_sptr->get_max_output_streams() == -1 && outPorts.size() == 1 ) {
	       ostream = ostreams.begin();
	       for ( int i=0; ostream != ostreams.end(); i++, ostream++) {
	          if ( i == idx ) {
                     LOG_DEBUG( copy_octet_base, " REMOVE VARIABLE OUTPUT STREAM IDX:" << idx );
	             ostream=ostreams.erase(ostream);
		     break;
                  }
               }
            }
         }
         else {
            istream++;
         }
      }

    }

    // close remaining output streams
    ostream = ostreams.begin();
    for ( ; eos && ostream != ostreams.end(); ostream++ ) ostream->close();

  }

  //
  // set the read pointers of the GNU Radio Block to start at the beginning of the 
  // supplied buffers
  //
  gr_sptr->reset_read_index();

  LOG_TRACE( copy_octet_base, " END OF TRANSFORM SERVICE FUNCTION....." << noutput_items );

  if ( nout == -1 && eos == false )
    return NOOP;    
  else
    return NORMAL;

}