Pseudo-random hardware resource allocation through the plurality of resource controller based on non-repeating sequence of index list entries

An apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of resource controllers configured to provide hardware resources;
• and
• a pseudo-random allocation module coupled to the plurality of resource controllers and configured to:
• configure each one of a plurality of entries of a resource list to respectively include an identification of one resource controller of the plurality of resource controllers, wherein each resource controller of the plurality of resource controllers is a hardware element and is identified by a same number of resource list entries;
• configure each one of a plurality of entries of an index list to respectively include an identification of one resource list entry of the plurality of resource list entries, wherein one or more of the plurality of index list entries appears multiple times in the index list, and wherein the order of the plurality of index list entries does not include any repeating sequence of the one or more index list entries that appears multiple times, and wherein each resource list entry of the plurality of resource list entries is identified by a same number of index list entries;
• set an index list pointer to identify a first index list entry of the plurality of index list entries;
• and
• request hardware resources by,
• identifying, using the index list pointer, the first index list entry,
• identifying, using the first index list entry, a first resource list entry,
• selecting the resource controller identified by the first resource list entry as a first resource controller, and
• sending a first request for hardware resources to the first resource controller.

A system, comprising:

• a plurality of resource controllers, wherein each resource controller of the plurality of resource controllers provides hardware resources;
• and
• a computing device coupled to the plurality of resource controllers, comprising:
• a set of one or more network ports, and
• a pseudo-random allocation module that:
• configures each one of a plurality of entries of a resource list to respectively include an identification of one resource controller of the plurality of resource controllers, wherein each resource controller of the plurality of resource controllers is a hardware element and is identified by a same number of resource list entries,
• configures each one of a plurality of entries of an index list to respectively include an identification of one resource list entry of the plurality of resource list entries, wherein one or more of the plurality of index list entries appears multiple times in the index list, and wherein the order of the plurality of index list entries does not include any repeating sequence of the one or more index list entries that appears multiple times,
• sets an index list pointer to identify a first index list entry of the plurality of index list entries, and wherein each resource list entry of the plurality of resource list entries is identified by a same number of index list entries,
• requests hardware resources by,
• identifying, using the index list pointer, the first index list entry,
• identifying, using the first index list entry, a first resource list entry, and
• selecting the resource controller identified by the first resource list entry as a first resource controller, and
• sending a first request for hardware resources to the first resource controller through use of the set of one or more network ports.

A method in a packet processor for pseudo-random memory allocation through a plurality of memory controllers, wherein each memory controller of the plurality of memory controllers allocates memory from a plurality of memory units, the method comprising:

• configuring each one of a plurality of entries of a resource list to respectively include an identification of one memory controller of the plurality of memory controllers, wherein each memory controller of the plurality of memory controllers is a hardware element and is identified by a same number of resource list entries;
• configuring each one of a plurality of entries of an index list to respectively include an identification of one resource list entry of the plurality of resource list entries, wherein one or more of the plurality of index list entries appears multiple times in the index list, and wherein the order of the plurality of index list entries does not include any repeating sequence of the one or more index list entries that appears multiple times, wherein and each resource list entry of the plurality of resource list entries is identified by a same number of index list entries;
• setting an index list pointer to identify a first index list entry of the plurality of index list entries;
• and
• requesting memory, by a pseudo-random allocation module including the index list and the resource list, wherein the requesting includes:
• identifying, using the index list pointer, the first index list entry,
• identifying, using the first index list entry, a first resource list entry,
• selecting a memory controller identified by the first resource list entry as a first memory controller, and
• sending, to the first memory controller, a request for an allocation of memory.

A network element, comprising:

• a plurality of memory controllers, wherein each memory controller of the plurality of memory controllers is configured to allocate memory from a plurality of memory units;
• and
• a pseudo-random allocation module coupled to the plurality of memory controllers and configured to:
• configure each one of a plurality of entries of a resource list to respectively include an identification of one memory controller of the plurality of memory controllers, wherein each memory controller of the plurality of memory controllers is identified by a same number of resource list entries;
• configure each one of a plurality of entries of an index list to respectively include an identification of one resource list entry of the plurality of resource list entries, wherein one or more of the plurality of index list entries appears multiple times in the index list, and wherein the order of the plurality of index list entries does not include any repeating sequence of the one or more index list entries that appears multiple times and wherein each resource list entry of the plurality of resource list entries is identified by a same number of index list entries;
• set an index list pointer to identify a first index list entry of the plurality of index list entries;
• and
• request memory by,
• identifying, using the index list pointer, the first index list entry,
• identifying, using the first index list entry, a first resource list entry,
• selecting the a memory controller identified by the first resource list entry as a first memory controller, and
• sending, to the first memory controller, a request for an allocation of memory.