Centralized memory allocation with write pointer drift correction

A method for processing data, comprising:

• receiving a first write request associated with a data unit;
• storing the data unit;
• transmitting a first reply including a first address where the data unit is stored;
• and
• determining whether the first address differs from an address included in at least one other reply by at least a first value.

A network device, comprising:

• a plurality of memory banks configured to store data units;
• a plurality of request engines configured to generate write requests, the write requests each including at least one data unit;
• a plurality of memory controllers, each memory controller being configured to:
• receive a write request,
• determine where to store the data unit included in the write request using an address register associated with the memory controller,
• store the data unit at a location identified by an address in the address register, and
• transmit a reply message identifying the address where the data unit is stored;
• and
• logic configured to:
• receive the reply message, and
• determine whether the address where the data unit is stored differs from an address included in at least one other reply message by at least a first value.

A method for writing data in a network device, comprising:

• generating write requests, each write request including at least one data unit, wherein a number of the data units comprise a data packet;
• forwarding the write requests to one of a plurality of memory controllers;
• determining, by a first one of the memory controllers, where to store a data unit included in a write request using an address register;
• storing the data unit at a first address identified by the address register;
• determining whether the first address differs from an address associated with at least one other stored data unit by a first value;
• and
• initiating a corrective action when the first address differs from the address associated with the at least one other stored data unit by at least the first value.

A system for writing data, comprising:

• a plurality of memory devices configured to store data units, a number of the data units comprising a data packet;
• a plurality of memory controllers corresponding to the plurality of memory devices;
• a plurality of address registers associated with the plurality of memory controllers, a first one of the memory controllers being configured to:
• receive a first data unit, and
• store the first data unit in a first one of the memory devices, the first data unit being stored at a location identified by a first one of the address registers;
• and
• control logic configured to:
• determine a difference between a value of the first address register and a value of at least one of the other address registers, and
• determine whether the difference is greater than a first threshold.

A system for writing data, comprising:

• a plurality of memory banks configured to store data units, a number of the data units comprising data packets, wherein at least some of the data units associated with a first data packet are stored in different memory banks;
• a write request engine configured to generate write requests, each write request including a data unit;
• a plurality of memory controllers corresponding to the plurality of memory banks, each of the memory controllers including an address register, a first one of the memory controllers being configured to:
• receive a first write request,
• store the data unit included in the first write request in a first one of the memory banks,
• increment its address register, and
• transmit a first reply including a write pointer, the write pointer identifying an address where the data unit is stored;
• and
• control logic configured to:
• receive the first reply,
• determine a difference between the write pointer in the first reply and write pointers included in replies from each of the other memory controllers,
• identify the maximum difference, and
• determine whether the maximum difference is greater than a first threshold.

A system for writing data in a network device, comprising:

• means for storing data cells in one of a plurality of memory banks, a number of the data cells comprising data packets and at least some of the data cells being associated with a first data packet being stored in different memory banks;
• means for determining whether a pointer associated with any one of the memory banks is outside a predetermined range;
• and
• means for adjusting the memory bank that is outside the predetermined range.