Using burst tolerance values in time-based schedules

A method for scheduling items, comprising:

• identifying, by a particular apparatus configured for scheduling items, a best schedule item associated with an eligible schedule entry of a plurality of schedule entries in a schedule, wherein whether or not a particular schedule entry of said schedule entries is eligible is determined based on the relationship of its associated timestamp with a current scheduling time, said relationship including its said associated timestamp being within a burst tolerance time bound after the current scheduling time, wherein the burst tolerance time bound is a nonzero value associated with a priority level of an item currently associated with said particular schedule entry;
• wherein said associating the best schedule item with the schedule entry includes:
• identifying that the schedule entry was dormant prior to said associating, and in response, initializing one or more timestamps associated with the schedule entry;
• and
• wherein said one or more timestamps includes a plurality of timestamps;
• and wherein said initializing one or more timestamps includes setting each of the plurality of timestamps prior to its associated current time by its nonzero wakeup burst tolerance value.

A method for scheduling items, comprising:

• identifying, by a particular apparatus configured for scheduling items, a best schedule item associated with an eligible schedule entry of a plurality of schedule entries in a schedule, wherein whether or not a particular schedule entry of said schedule entries is eligible is determined based on the relationship of its associated timestamp with a current scheduling time, said relationship including its said associated timestamp being within a burst tolerance time bound after the current scheduling time, wherein the burst tolerance time bound is a nonzero value associated with a priority level of an item currently associated with said particular schedule entry;
• and in response to said identifying the best schedule item, updating said timestamp associated with said schedule entry associated with the best schedule item;
• wherein said associating the best schedule item with the schedule entry includes:
• identifying that the schedule entry was dormant prior to said associating, and in response, initializing one or more timestamps associated with the schedule entry;
• and
• wherein a plurality of timestamps are associated with said schedule entry associated with the best schedule item, the plurality of timestamps including said timestamp and a maximum scheduling rate timestamp;
• and wherein the method includes also updating, in response to said identifying the best schedule item, said maximum scheduling rate timestamp associated with said schedule entry associated with the best schedule item.

A method for scheduling items, comprising:

• identifying, by a particular apparatus configured for scheduling items, a best schedule item associated with an eligible schedule entry of a plurality of schedule entries in a schedule, wherein whether or not a particular schedule entry of said schedule entries is eligible is determined based on the relationship of its associated timestamp with a current scheduling time, said relationship including its said associated timestamp being within a burst tolerance time bound after the current scheduling time, wherein the burst tolerance time bound is a nonzero value associated with a priority level of an item currently associated with said particular schedule entry;
• and in response to said identifying the best schedule item, updating said timestamp associated with said schedule entry associated with the best schedule item;
• wherein said associating the best schedule item with the schedule entry includes:
• identifying that the schedule entry was dormant prior to said associating, and in response, initializing one or more timestamps associated with the schedule entry;
• and
• wherein a plurality of timestamps are associated with said schedule entry associated with the best schedule item, the plurality of timestamps including said timestamp, a maximum scheduling rate timestamp and an excess rate scheduling timestamp;
• and wherein the method includes also updating, in response to said identifying the best schedule item, said maximum scheduling rate and said excess rate scheduling timestamps associated with said schedule entry associated with the best schedule item.

An apparatus for scheduling items, comprising:

• means for identifying a best schedule item associated with an eligible schedule entry of a plurality of schedule entries in a schedule, wherein whether or not a particular schedule entry of said schedule entries is eligible is determined based on the relationship of its associated timestamp with a current scheduling time, said relationship including its said associated timestamp being within a burst tolerance time bound after the current scheduling time, wherein the burst tolerance time bound is a nonzero value associated with said particular schedule entry,
• wherein the burst tolerance time bound allows the particular schedule entry to be considered as eligible based on its associated timestamp when normally it would not be considered as eligible by said means for identifying the best schedule item because the timestamp associated with the particular schedule entry is after the current scheduling time;
• and
• wherein said means for identifying the best schedule item includes at least one hardware component.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a scheduler, including one or more hardware components, configured for scheduling items;
• wherein said scheduling items includes:
• identifying, by the scheduler, a best schedule item associated with an eligible schedule entry of a plurality of schedule entries in a schedule, wherein whether or not a particular schedule entry of said schedule entries is eligible is determined based on the relationship of its associated timestamp with a current scheduling time, said relationship including its said associated timestamp being within a burst tolerance time bound after the current scheduling time, wherein the burst tolerance time bound is a nonzero value associated with said particular schedule entry,
• wherein the burst tolerance time bound allows the particular schedule entry to be considered as eligible based on its associated timestamp when normally it would not be considered as eligible by the scheduler because the timestamp associated with the particular schedule entry is after the current scheduling time.