Abstract: These and other aspects of the present invention will be better described with reference to the Detailed Description and the accompanying figures. A method and apparatus for out-of-order processing of packets using linked lists is described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving packets in a global order, the packets being designated for different ones of a plurality of reorder contexts. The method also includes storing information regarding each of the packets in a shared reorder buffer. The method also includes for each of the plurality of reorder contexts, maintaining a reorder context linked list that records the order in which those of the packets that were designated for that reorder context and that are currently stored in the shared reorder buffer were received relative to the global order.

Abstract: These and other aspects of the present invention will be better described with reference to the Detailed Description and the accompanying figures. A method and apparatus for out-of-order processing of packets using linked lists is described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving packets in a global order, the packets being designated for different ones of a plurality of reorder contexts. The method also includes storing information regarding each of the packets in a shared reorder buffer. The method also includes for each of the plurality of reorder contexts, maintaining a reorder context linked list that records the order in which those of the packets that were designated for that reorder context and that are currently stored in the shared reorder buffer were received relative to the global order.

Abstract: These and other aspects of the present invention will be better described with reference to the Detailed Description and the accompanying figures. A method and apparatus for out-of-order processing of packets using linked lists is described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving packets in a global order, the packets being designated for different ones of a plurality of reorder contexts. The method also includes storing information regarding each of the packets in a shared reorder buffer. The method also includes for each of the plurality of reorder contexts, maintaining a reorder context linked list that records the order in which those of the packets that were designated for that reorder context and that are currently stored in the shared reorder buffer were received relative to the global order.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for traffic scheduling is described. A computer implemented method comprises combining a priority scheme with a generalized processor sharing scheme to schedule transmission of a set of data and transmitting the set of data as scheduled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the admission of data packets into a network element is described. In an embodiment, a method for controlling admittance of a data packet into a memory buffer includes performing, prior to queuing the data packet for routing by a processor, the following: (1) receiving a data packet from one of at least two different ports, (2) determining a priority value within the data packet, and (3) determining an admittance group identifier for the data packet based on the priority value and the port the data packet was received. The method also comprises queuing the data packet from the memory buffer to one of a number of queues for routing by the processor upon determining that a number of data packets stored in the memory buffer and having the admittance group identifier is not greater than a threshold value.