Abstract: A threshold mechanism is provided so that a producer and a corresponding consumer, executing on the same resource (e.g., CPU) are able to switch context between them in a manner that reduces the total number of such context switches. The threshold mechanism is associated with a buffer into which the producer stores packets up to a given threshold before the consumer is allowed to remove packets. The buffer has an associated upper limit on the number of packets that can be stored in the buffer. A flush empties the buffer of any remaining packets when no more packets are to be produced. This reduction in the total number of context switches in general leads to better performance at the cost of more latency.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, the use of such a method and an integrated circuit for altering memory configurations in a physical memory. A memory configuration comprising memory pools of memory packets can be changed into a new memory configuration by detecting a released memory packet within a memory pool of said first memory configuration, assigning memory from said released memory packet to said second memory configuration, determining the size of said assigned free memory of said second memory configuration and allocating within said assigned free memory a required amount of memory for a memory packet of a pool of said second memory configuration in case that assigned free memory size satisfies that allocation request. By said transition a seamless mode change may be applied and memory packets released within a first mode may already be used by said second mode. Fragmentation may be avoided.