Scheduling and Traffic Management with Offload Processors

Abstract

A method for scheduling packet processing is disclosed. The method can include classifying network packets based on session metadata and placing the classified network packets into first multiple input/output queues, with network packets transported to a classification circuit using a memory bus having a defined memory transport protocol, reordering network packets received from the first multiple input/output queues using a scheduling circuit and placing the reordered network packets into a second multiple input/output queues, directing network packets received from the scheduling circuit through the second multiple input/output queues to multiple output ports using an arbitration circuit, and modifying network packets using multiple offload processors, each offload processor coupled to at least one of the multiple output ports, the offload processors configured to direct modified network packets back to the memory bus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.