System, method and apparatus for preparing a table for a cell scheduler

An ATM switch comprising:

• a port coupled to a network and receiving a sub-stream therefrom, the sub-stream having a plurality of consecutive components;
• a memory device to store a table, the table to have a total number of N slots to store entries, with L of those slots already containing entries,
• wherein N is defined as an integer representing the total number of slots in the table, N further being expressible as a power of two with an integer exponent x, and
• wherein L is defined as an integer representing a number of slots that already contain entries;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory device, the processor to derive an integer index value for a component of a sub-stream, the index value indicating a slot of the table into which an entry associated with the component of the sub-stream is to be placed, wherein the index value is derived by swapping x bits of a binary representation of the number of entries L already in the table.

A method, comprising:

• establishing a data structure in a memory unit, the data structure having a total number of N slots for entries,
• wherein N is defined as an integer representing the total number of slots in the data structure, N further being expressible as a power of two with an integer exponent x;
• storing entries into L slots of the data structure,
• wherein L is defined as an integer representing a number of slots that already contain entries;
• swapping x bits of a binary representation of L to produce an index value;
• and
• storing a new entry into the data structure, the new entry being stored into an entry represented by the index value produced by said swapping.