Abstract: A method and system for scheduling tasks in a processing system. In one embodiment, the method comprises processing tasks from a primary work queue, wherein the tasks consume resources that are operable to be released. Whenever the volume of resources that have been consumed exceeds a threshold, the processor executes tasks from a secondary work queue for a period of time. The secondary work queue is comprised of tasks from the primary work queue that can release the resources; the secondary work queue can be sorted according to the volume of resources that can be released.

Abstract: System and method for implementing a port mapping technique in a switch of a communications network, wherein the switch includes a plurality of ports including user ports and network ports, are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises identifying a first portion of the ports as user ports; identifying a second portion of the ports as network ports; assigning a plurality of the user ports to a first session; and preventing user ports assigned to the first session from interacting with one another.

Abstract: System and method for implementing a port mapping technique in a switch of a communications network, wherein the switch includes a plurality of ports including user ports and network ports, are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises identifying a first portion of the ports as user ports; identifying a second portion of the ports as network ports; assigning a plurality of the user ports to a first session; and preventing user ports assigned to the first session from interacting with one another.

Abstract: A method and system for scheduling tasks in a processing system. In one embodiment, the method comprises processing tasks from a primary work queue, wherein the tasks consume resources that are operable to be released. Whenever the volume of resources that have been consumed exceeds a threshold, the processor executes tasks from a secondary work queue for a period of time. The secondary work queue is comprised of tasks from the primary work queue that can release the resources; the secondary work queue can be sorted according to the volume of resources that can be released.

Abstract: A system and method for negotiating speed of a stack link disposed between a stack port of a first stack switch element (SSE) and a stack port of a second SSE, wherein the first and second SSEs are immediate neighbors in a stackable Ethernet switch (SES). In one embodiment, appropriate logic and/or processing structures are provided with respective SSEs for automatically negotiating the stack link's speed during initialization of the SES, whereby the stack link's speed may be increased to a select bandwidth rate greater than a default rate upon determining that the stack ports of the first and second SSE are capable of supporting the select bandwidth rate.