The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 25, 2008
Filed:
Jul. 10, 2002
John G. Favor, Scotts Valley, CA (US);
Edmund G. Chen, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Stephan Meier, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
John G. Favor, Scotts Valley, CA (US);
Edmund G. Chen, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Stephan Meier, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Redback Networks, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for out-of-order processing of packets are 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, for each of the plurality of reorder contexts, assigning reorder context sequence numbers indicating an order relative to the global order of the packets designated for that reorder context. The method also includes storing packet descriptors for each of the packets in a shared reorder buffer, and completing processing of at least certain of the packets out of the global order. The method also includes, for each of the plurality of reorder contexts, maintaining a first indication of the one of the sequence numbers assigned the one of the packets that is next to be retired for that reorder context. The method also includes retiring the packets from the shared reorder buffer, based on the sequence numbers, in order with respect to each of the plurality of reorder contexts, but out of the global order for at least certain of the packets.