Shared memory with priority-based notifications

A network device comprising:

• a memory;
• one or more computer processors;
• and
• a computer-readable storage device comprising instructions for controlling the one or more computer processors to:
• receive data for processing, the data being associated with a priority level;
• and
• store a notification that references the received data into an entry in a main notification queue;
• store a reference to the entry into one of a plurality of priority notification queues that corresponds to the priority level associated with the received data, wherein the plurality of priority notification queues comprises at least a highest priority notification queue and at least a next highest priority notification queue;
• and
• process the notifications stored in the main notification queue, including:
• scanning the plurality of priority notification queues and, for each priority notification queue, consuming at least one notification by using a reference stored in the priority notification queue to access a corresponding notification stored in the main notification queue and processing the data in the corresponding notification;
• and
• scanning the main notification queue and consuming one or more notifications in the main notification queue that were not already consumed via one of the plurality of priority notification queues.

A method in a network device comprising:

• receiving data for processing, the data being associated with a priority level;
• adding a notification of the received data to a main notification queue;
• in response to the received data being associated with a priority level higher than a lowest priority level, then adding a pointer to the notification in the main notification queue to one of a plurality of priority notification queues that corresponds to the priority level of the data, wherein the plurality of priority notification queues comprises at least a highest priority notification queue and at least a next highest priority notification queue;
• and
• scanning the plurality of priority notification queues to consume one or more notifications in the main notification queue and the main notification queue to consume notifications that were not already consumed via one of the plurality of priority notification queues.