Assigning resources to items such as processing contexts for processing packets

A method for matching resources with items and for processing said items, the method comprising:

• maintaining a plurality of differently aged resource groups including a newly available resource group;
• maintaining a plurality of distribution groups for said items;
• preferentially associating a particular resource of the newly available resource group with a particular item of one of said distribution groups over a resource in another of said differently aged resource groups;
• and
• processing the particular item using the particular resource;
• wherein each of said distribution groups are related to said resources, a plurality of said resources being currently associated with said differently aged resource groups, said relationship including primarily associated, and secondarily associated;
• and wherein said preferentially associating includes determining a particular distribution group of said distribution groups based on said relationships of the particular distribution group with said distribution groups and on the current assignment of distribution groups to said resources.

A method for matching resources with items and for processing said items, each of said items associated with a distribution group of a plurality of distribution groups, each of said resources currently not associated with one of said items is associated with one of a plurality of differently aged resource groups, said differently aged resource groups including a newly available resource group, the method comprising

• identifying a first resource from the newly available resource group and a second resource from a resource group of said differently aged resource groups;
• determining pairings based on primary and secondary associations defined for said distribution groups, said pairings including a first matching item for the first resource and a second matching item for the second resource;
• selecting which of said pairings to associate based on predetermined criteria;
• processing the first matching item using the first resource;
• and
• processing the second matching item using the second resource.

An apparatus for matching resources with items and for processing said items, each of said items associated with a distribution group of a plurality of distribution groups, each of said resources currently not associated with one of said items is associated with one of a plurality of differently aged resource groups, said differently aged resource groups including a newly available resource group, the apparatus comprising:

• means for identifying a first resource from the newly available resource group and a second resource from a resource group of said differently aged resource groups;
• means for determining pairings, said pairings including a first matching item for the first resource and a second matching item for the second resource;
• means for selecting which pairing to associate based on predetermined criteria;
• and
• means for processing the first matching item using the first resource and for processing the second matching item using the second resource.

An apparatus for processing packets, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of processing contexts configured to process packets, each of the plurality of processing contexts being associated with one or more distribution groups of a plurality of distribution groups, each of said packets associated with at least one distribution group of the plurality of distribution groups;
• and
• a distribution mechanism configured to distribute packets to the plurality of processing contexts based on said respective particular distribution group;
• wherein each of the plurality of processing contexts is associated with one or more respective primary distribution groups and one or more respective secondary distribution groups of said one or more distribution groups;
• and
• wherein said distributing packets to the plurality of processing contexts based on said respective particular distribution group includes preferentially deferring assignment of a context to a distribution group that is secondarily associated to the distribution group in response to another context with the distribution group being one of its primary distribution groups waiting to be assigned a packet.

An apparatus for processing packets, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of processing contexts configured to process packets, each of the plurality of processing contexts being associated with one or more distribution groups of a plurality of distribution groups, each of said packets associated with at least one distribution group of the plurality of distribution groups;
• and
• a distribution mechanism configured to distribute packets to the plurality of processing contexts based on said respective particular distribution group;
• wherein each of the plurality of processing contexts is associated with one or more respective primary distribution groups and one or more respective secondary distribution groups of said one or more distribution groups;
• and
• wherein the distribution mechanism is configured to distribute a particular packet associated with a particular distribution group of said distribution groups preferentially to a processing context of said processing contexts whose said one or more primary distribution groups includes the particular distribution group else to a processing context of said processing contexts whose said one or more secondary distribution groups includes the particular distribution group.

An apparatus for processing packets, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of processing contexts configured to process packets, each of the plurality of processing contexts being associated with one or more distribution groups of a plurality of distribution groups, each of said packets associated with at least one distribution group of the plurality of distribution groups;
• and
• a distribution mechanism configured to distribute packets to the plurality of processing contexts based on said respective particular distribution group;
• wherein the distribution mechanism is configured to maintain at least two queues of available contexts of said plurality of contexts, said at least two queues including a newly available queue and an aged available queue;
• and wherein said distributing packets to the plurality of processing contexts based on said respective particular distribution group includes matching a packet associated with a particular one of said distribution groups with a context identified as being at the head of one of said queues also associated with the particular one of the plurality of distribution groups.