Patent ID: 6021132
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A shared memory manager for use in a packet forwarding device, the shared memory manager comprising:a pointer memory configured to store information regarding buffer usage in a shared memory, the pointer memory including a tag array indicating whether or not a plurality of sets of buffers contains one or more free buffers and a count array indicating for each of the buffers within the plurality of sets of buffers a number of ports of the packet forwarding device using the corresponding buffer;an encoder coupled to the pointer memory, the encoder referencing the tag array to generate an output which indicates a selected set of buffers of the plurality of sets of buffers that contains one or more free buffers; anda pointer generator coupled to the encoder, the pointer generator referencing the count array to locate a free buffer in the selected set of buffers and producing a pointer to the located free buffer.