Patent ID: 7983290

Claim:
A device comprising: a plurality of stream flow meters corresponding to a plurality of packet processors, where each of the plurality of stream flow meters is to: store a value relating to a number of bytes of packet data assigned to a corresponding one of the plurality of packet processors; a comparator to: compare the values in the plurality of stream flow meters, and identify a stream flow meter, of the plurality of stream flow meters, storing a lowest value, of the values stored by the plurality of stream flow meters; and a processor to: assign at least one packet, from an incoming packet stream, to a packet processor, of the plurality of packet processors, corresponding to the identified stream flow meter to balance the number of bytes of the packets assigned, respectively, to the plurality of packet processors, update the value stored by the identified stream flow meter based on a number of bytes associated with the assigned at least one packet, and normalize the values stored by the plurality of stream flow meters after updating the value stored by the identified stream flow meter.