Patent ID: 7787378

Claim:
A method comprising: examining a port arbitration table in a device capable of handling up to a number P of ports ( 0 , 1 , . . . , P), said port arbitration table capable of specifying a number of entries for each of said P ports, and determining a total number of entries E for each of said P ports (0E, 1E, . . . , PE); loading into P table count registers (0TC, 1TC, . . . , PTC) each respective said total number of entries for said P ports (0E-->0TC, 1E-->1TC, . . . , PE-->PTC); (a) copying each respective said P table count register (0TC, 1TC, . . . , PTC) into a corresponding P running counter (0TC-->0RC, 1TC-->1RC, . . . , PTC-->PRC); (b) cycling through all P running counters (0RC, 1 RC, . . . , PRC) one at a time and determining if said one P running counter is at a count of zero; and (b1) if not at a count of zero then; decrementing the count of said P running counter; transferring a packet through said P port; repeating (b) (b2) if at a count of zero then; determining if all said P running counters are at a count of zero; and (b2a) if not at a count of zero then; repeating (b) (b2b) if at a count of zero then; repeating (a)-(b).