Method and system for network data flow management with improved completion unit

A method of processing in an interface device an ordered series of frames received from a network, the steps of the method comprising:

• receiving input information units in order from the network;
• assigning each input information unit to one of a plurality of independent processors in the order in which the input information units were received from the network;
• recording in a first memory an identifier for each information unit assigned to one of the independent processors and recording, in association with the identifier, the identity of the processing unit to which the processing unit was assigned;
• processing the input information unit at the assigned processing unit and storing a completed information unit in a second memory;
• retrieving from the second memory containing completed information units those completed information units in the order specified in the first memory for transmission to the network, whereby the completed information units are transmitted to the network in the same order in which the input information units were received from the network.

A system for processing information units received from a network and comprising:

• a plurality of independent processing units, each for receiving an input information unit and processing the information unit, generating output information units;
• a dispatch unit coupled to the plurality of independent processing units which recognizes that an input information unit has been received from the network and assigns the information unit to one of the independent processing units for processing;
• a completion unit for transferring output information units to the network;
• a controller for providing the output information units are transferred to the network after processing by a processor in the same order in which the input information units were received from the network, the controller including:
• a first storage for recording a tag for each input information unit sent by the dispatch unit to a processing unit;
• a second storage for recording which of the plurality of processing units is processing each input information unit;
• and
• a third storage including storage for each output information units from the processing units in sequential order for each processing unit;
• and
• a transferring device for removing information units from the third storage in the order specified in the first storage unit.

A system for processing information units comprising:

• a memory for storing a plurality of information units to be processed in the order in which the information units are received;
• a plurality of independent processing units;
• a dispatch unit for assigning each information unit to one of the plurality of independent processing units, said dispatch unit storing sequentially in a queue an identifier for each information unit and the identity of the processing unit to which the information unit was dispatched for processing;
• a completion unit for transmitting processed information units from the system, said completion unit being coupled to the sequential queue the identifier for each information unit assigned by the dispatcher and the identity of the processing unit to which the information unit was dispatched, whereby the completion unit may assemble the processed information units in the same order in which the information units were received.