Patent ID: 8638784

Claim:
A network switch comprising: a first port configured to receive (i) a first frame of data transmitted to the network switch over a first communication channel and (ii) store the first frame of data in a memory; a forwarding module configured to assign the first frame of data to a second port (i) for transmission from the network switch over a second communication channel and (ii) subsequent to at least a portion of the first frame of data being received by the network switch at the first port; and a queue controller configured to store a first count of a number of buffers of the memory used by the first port, wherein the queue controller is configured to increment the first count i) based on the number of the buffers of the memory used to store at least a portion of the first frame of data, or ii) each time one of the buffers of the memory is enqueued for at least a portion of the first frame of data.