US 7,411,902 B2 · Method and system for maintaining partial order of packets

Abstract

A method and system for maintaining partial order of packets in packet processing modules is described. The system includes a memory and a plurality of packet processing modules to process packets that are part of a sequence in order. The memory stores a plurality of indicators, each indicator associated with one of the plurality of packet processing modules to identify which packets in the sequence are to be processed by the packet processing module and which packets in the sequence are to be skipped. The next packet in the sequence to be processed by the packet processing module is determined based on the stored indicators. A packet received at the packet processing module is processed if the packet is the next packet in the sequence to be processed.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

storing for a first packet processing module and a second packet processing module a plurality of indicators to identify which packets in a sequence of packets will be processed by the first packet processing module or the second packet processing module;
determining a next packet in the sequence to be processed by the first packet processing module or the second packet processing module based on the stored indicators;
processing a packet received at the first packet processing module if the received packet is the next packet in the sequence to be processed;
and
storing a plurality of indicators to specify which packets in the sequence of packets are ready to be processed by the first packet processing module.

2 more elements

An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions that when accessed by a computer causes the computer to:
store a first packet processing module and a second packet processing module a plurality of indicators to identify which packets in a sequence of packets will be processed by the first packet processing module or the second packet processing module;
determine a next packet in the sequence to be processed by the first packet processing module or the second packet processing module based on the stored indicators;
process a packet received at the first packet processing module if the packet is the next packet in the sequence to be processed;
and
store the packet received at the packet processing module in an Asynchronous Insert, Synchronous Remove (AISR) array if the received packet is not the next packet in the sequence to be processed.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for maintaining partial order of packets

Life of this patent

Method and system for maintaining partial order of packets

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12