Patent ID: 7336676

Claim:
A multi-queue network apparatus for quality of service oriented communication, comprising: a host system comprising a system memory and a peripheral bus, the system memory including a plurality of queues each of which is configured to store data packets to be transmitted; and a peripheral module comprising: an arbiter, adapted to interface with the peripheral bus, maintaining a plurality of next access pointers targeting each queue within the system memory, respectively, determining which queue is to be serviced next contingent upon a quality of service policy, and fetching at least one data packet identified by the chosen queue's next access pointer; a data path controller, connected to the arbiter, accepting therefrom the fetched data packet; and two FIFO buffers, connected in parallel to the data path controller, storing and managing the fetched data packet in a first-in-first-out manner; wherein the data path controller allows one of the FIFO buffers to be filled with the fetched data packet while the other FIFO buffer is engaged in outgoing transference.