Transporting data transmission units of different sizes using segments of fixed sizes

A data traffic management system for processing incoming data transmission units of different size, the data traffic management system including:

• (a) a first memory means having at least one set of two parallel banks;
• (b) a second memory means containing a plurality of pointers, each pointer being able to simultaneously reference two independently parallel memory locations within one of the at least one set of two parallel memory banks, each of the two parallel memory banks in a set having parallel memory locations referenced by each pointer;
• (c) processing means for receiving an incoming data transmission unit and dividing the incoming data transmission unit into at least two fixed size segments and writing the at least two fixed size segments in the first memory means;
• and
• (d) controlling means for updating each index pointer that points to one of the pointers in the second memory means and sending the index pointer to the processing means, the pointer being one of the plurality of pointers contained in the second memory means.

A method of processing data transmission units having different sizes, the method including the steps of:

• (a) determining the size of the data transmission unit;
• (b) if the size of the data transmission unit is greater than a predetermined fixed size of a segment, executing the following steps:
• (b1) dividing the data transmission unit into at least two portions, each portion having a maximum size equal to the predetermined fixed size of a segment;
• (b2) retrieving at least one and at most two portions created in step (b1) from the data transmission unit;
• (b3) if one portion is retrieved from step (b2), executing the following steps:
• (b3-1) sending a signal to a controlling means, the signal indicating that one portion has been retrieved;
• (b3-2) retrieving a write index from the controlling means and transferring it to a processing means, the write index containing a memory address;
• (b3-3) assigning the memory address to the portion retrieved in step (b2);
• (b3-4) assigning a pointer to reference a memory location using the memory address assigned in step (b3-3);
• b3-5) setting a field indicator in the pointer of step (b3-4) to indicate that one portion is being referenced;
• b3-6) storing the portion referenced in step (b3) in a memory location of a first memory bank, the memory location having the memory address assigned in step (b4-3);
• (b3-7) storing the pointer assigned in step (b3-4) in a pointer memory;
• or
• (b4) if two portions are retrieved from step (b2), executing the following steps:
• (b4-1) sending a signal to a controlling means, the signal indicating that two portions have been retrieved;
• (b4-2) retrieving a write index from the controlling means and transferring it to a processing means, the write index containing a memory address common to a first memory bank and a second memory bank;
• (b4-3) assigning the common memory address to each of the two portions;
• (b4-4) assigning a pointer to reference two memory locations using the memory address assigned in step (b4-3);
• (b4-5) setting a field indicator in the pointer assigned in step (b4-4) to indicate that two portions are referenced, the two portions comprising a first portion and a second portion;
• (b4-6) storing the first portion from step (b4-5) in a memory location in the first memory bank and storing the second portion in a memory location in the second memory bank, both memory locations having the memory address assigned in step (b4-3);
• (b4-7) storing the pointer assigned in step (b4-4) in a pointer memory;
• (b4-8) if there are at least one and at most two portions to be retrieved from the data transmission unit, assigning the pointer to reference a pointer assigned to the at least one and at most two portions to be retrieved;
• and
• (b4-9) repeating step b2) to b4), until the data transmission unit has been retrieved.

A method of processing a request for retrieving a data transmission unit from memory, the method including the steps of:

• (a) sending a signal to a controlling means, the signal indicating that a data transmission unit identified in the signal has been requested;
• (b) retrieving a pointer index from the controlling means and transferring it to a processing means;
• (c) reading a pointer from the pointer memory corresponding to the pointer index retrieved in step (b);
• (d) determining whether one or two portions are referenced by the pointer;
• (e) determining whether the pointer references an immediately succeeding pointer in the pointer memory;
• (f) if one portion is referenced in step (d), executing the following steps:
• (f1) identifying a memory location referenced by the pointer using a memory address contained in the pointer;
• (f2) retrieving the referenced portion from the memory location in a first memory bank;
• or
• (g) if two portions are referenced, executing the following steps:
• (g1) identifying two memory locations each referenced by the pointer using a memory address contained in the pointer;
• (g2) retrieving a first portion from a first memory location in a first memory bank and retrieving a second portion from a second memory location in a second memory bank, both memory locations identified in step (g1);
• (g3) incrementing the pointer index;
• (g4) if the pointer references the immediately succeeding pointer determined in step (e), repeating steps (c) to (g).