Abstract: A method buffering packets in a packet switching network (FIG. 5) includes receiving a packet from the network; splitting the packet into a plurality of PDUs; stripping at least some of the PDUs over a plurality of memory banks; (18) retrieving the PDUs from the memory banks: and at least temporarily storing the retrieved PDUs in the sequence they are to be transmitted. An apparatus for implementing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A packet processing apparatus for processing data packets for use in a packet switched network includes means for receiving a packet, means for adding administrative information to a first data portion of the packet, the administrative information including at least an indication of at least one process to be applied to the first data portion, and a plurality of parallel pipelines, each pipeline comprising at least one processing unit, wherein the processing unit carries out the process on the first data portion indicated by the administrative information to provide a modified first data portion. According to a method, the tasks performed by each processing unit are organized into a plurality of functions such that there are substantially only function calls and no interfunction calls and that at the termination of each function called by the function call for one processing unit, the only context is a first data portion.

Abstract: A method buffering packets in a packet switching network (FIG. 5) includes receiving a packet from the network; splitting the packet into a plurality of PDUs; stripping at least some of the PDUs over a plurality of memory banks; (18) retrieving the PDUs from the memory banks: and at least temporarily storing the retrieved PDUs in the sequence they are to be transmitted. An apparatus for implementing the method is also disclosed.