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AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsBahadir Erimli, Vallath Nandakumar
Estimating the term…
An apparatus and method are disclosed for maintaining free buffer information for a network switch. A first Random Access Memory (RAM), located on the network switch, functions to store values that indicate whether or not free buffers, located in a second RAM, are available for storing received data frames. An input logic is provided for placing values in the first RAM to indicate which free buffers are available for storing the data frames. When free buffers are required to store data frames, the output logic searches the first RAM and locates values that indicate available free buffers in the second RAM. The output logic then generates buffer pointers that address the locations of the free buffers in the second RAM. The buffer pointers that are generated are stored in a small capacity queue on the network switch to provide immediate availability to free buffers.
An arrangement for maintaining free buffer information for a network switch that receives and forwards data frames to plural ports, the arrangement comprising:
A method of maintaining free buffer information for a network switch comprising the steps:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.