Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for slow-start scheduling packets, such as in systems having a non-blocking switching fabric and homogeneous or heterogeneous line card interfaces. In one implementation, multiple request generators, grant arbiters, and acceptance arbiters work in conjunction to determine the scheduling of packets. A set of requests for sending packets from a particular input is identified. The number of requests is possibly reduced to a value less than the number of packets that can be sent from the particular source if the particular input is not saturated. Otherwise, when the particular input is saturated, the number of requests remains the same or is reduced to the maximum number of packets that can be sent during a packet time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for scheduling packets, such as in systems having a non-blocking switching fabric and homogeneous or heterogeneous line card interfaces. In one implementation, multiple request generators, grant arbiters, and acceptance arbiters work in conjunction to determine this scheduling. A set of requests for sending packets from a particular input is generated. From a grant starting position, a first n requests in a predetermined sequence are identified, where n is less than or equal to the maximum number of connections that can be used in a single packet time to the particular output. The grant starting position is updated in response to the first n grants including a particular grant corresponding to a grant advancement position. In one embodiment, the set of grants generated based on the set of requests is similarly determined using an acceptance starting position and an acceptance advancement position.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for scheduling packets, such as in systems having a non-blocking switching fabric and homogeneous or heterogeneous line card interfaces. In one implementation, multiple request generators, grant arbiters, and acceptance arbiters work in conjunction to determine this scheduling. A set of requests for sending packets from a particular input is generated. From a grant starting position, a first n requests in a predetermined sequence are identified, where n is less than or equal to the maximum number of connections that can be used in a single packet time to the particular output. The grant starting position is updated in response to the first n grants including a particular grant corresponding to a grant advancement position. In one embodiment, the set of grants generated based on the set of requests is similarly determined using an acceptance starting position and an acceptance advancement position.