Systems and methods for limiting low priority traffic from blocking high priority traffic

A method for managing flow of data in a network device, comprising:

• selecting high priority data units from at least one of a plurality of high priority queues;
• selecting a low priority data unit from a low priority queue of a plurality of low priority queues if no high priority data units can be selected;
• comparing a size of the selected low priority data unit with a threshold;
• and
• removing the low priority queue from arbitration for a programmable duration when the low priority data unit size exceeds the threshold.

A system for managing data flow in a network device, comprising:

• a plurality of high priority queues configured to store notifications corresponding to the high priority packets;
• a plurality of low priority queues configured to store notifications corresponding to the low priority packets;
• a high priority arbiter configured to perform arbitration on the plurality of high priority queues and to select a notification;
• a low priority arbiter configured to perform arbitration on the plurality of low priority queues and to select a notification when no notifications are present in the plurality of high priority queues;
• circuitry configured to compare a data unit size associated with the selected notification with a threshold, and to remove the low priority queue that contained the selected notification from further arbitration for a programmable duration when the data unit size exceeds the threshold;
• and
• a processor configured to receive the selected notifications and to assemble output data based on the selected notifications.

A method for processing high priority data units and low priority data units in a network device, comprising:

• performing arbitration on high priority notifications that correspond to the high priority data units and outputting selected high priority notifications to a processor until no high priority notifications remain;
• enabling arbitration on low priority notifications that correspond to the low priority data units;
• performing arbitration on the low priority notifications and outputting a selected low priority notification to the processor;
• comparing a data unit size associated with the selected low priority notification with a threshold;
• and
• excluding a queue that contained the selected low priority notification from subsequent arbitration for a duration when the data unit size exceeds the threshold.

A system for managing flow of data in a network device, comprising:

• a plurality of high priority queues configured to store data unit information;
• a plurality of low priority queues configured to store data unit information;
• and
• an arbiter configured to selectively bypass a low priority queue based on a size of a data unit in the low priority queue, wherein the arbiter includes:
• a comparison element configured to compare a size of a data unit with one or more thresholds and to output one or more control signals based on the comparison,
• a delay element configured to produce one or more delay signals in response to the one or more control signals from the comparison element, and
• a mask register configured to prevent the low priority arbiter from selecting one or more low priority queues for a duration defined by the one or more delay signals.