Apparatus and method for using link-tail of link list to store data pattern which is indicative of end of link list and auxiliary information

A link list processing method, comprising:

• setting link list information, wherein the link list information includes a data pattern configured to indicate an end of a link list as well as auxiliary information;
• and
• writing the link list information into a storage device to create the link list in the storage device;
• wherein the link list comprises a plurality of nodes each having a next node address field, and the data pattern is written into the next node address field of a link-tail node of the link list.

A network switch, comprising:

• a packet receiving circuit, arranged for receiving an input packet and deriving a plurality of first data chunks from the received input packet;
• a link list processing apparatus, comprising:
• a storage device;
• and
• a link list controller, arranged to write link list information into the storage device to create a link list in the storage device, wherein the link list comprises a plurality of nodes associated with the first data chunks respectively, each node has a next node address field, the link list information includes a data pattern configured to indicate an end of the link list as well as auxiliary information, and the link list controller stores the data pattern into the next node address field of a link-tail node of the link list;
• and
• a packet transmitting circuit, arranged for deriving a plurality of second data chunks of an output packet from the first data chunks according to the link list, and transmitting the output packet, wherein the packet transmitting circuit refers to the auxiliary information indicated by the link-tail node to perform packet processing when generating the output packet.