Processing resource management in an island-based network flow processor

A method comprising:

• (a) receiving a packet onto an integrated circuit and storing a header portion of the packet in a memory in a first island of the integrated circuit and storing a payload portion of the packet in another memory;
• (b) determining to communicate the header portion from the memory in the first island to the other memory based at least in part on an amount of a processing resource;
• (c) in response to the determining of (b) communicating the header portion from the memory in the first island to the other memory;
• and
• (d) communicating both the header portion and the payload portion from the other memory to a second island, wherein the second island comprises a memory into which the header portion and the payload portion are stored, wherein the second island further comprises an egress scheduling circuit.

An integrated circuit comprising:

• a first island that receives a plurality of packets, wherein each packet includes a header portion and a payload portion;
• a second island to which the header portions are transferred from the first island;
• a third island to which the payload portions are transferred from the first island;
• a fourth island that receives the plurality of packets, wherein the fourth island receives each of the packets by receiving the payload portion of said each packet from the third island and either receiving the payload portion of said each packet from either the second island or from the third island;
• and
• means for determining that the header portions of some packets should be transferred from the second island to the third island before being transferred from the third island to the fourth island and also for determining that the header portions of other packets should not be transferred from the second island to the third island, wherein the determining is based at least in part on an amount of a processing resource.