Patent ID: 7583678

Claim:
A method for scheduling, the method comprising: storing both a plurality of primary scheduling entries and a plurality of secondary scheduling entries in one or more scheduling data structures in one or more memories, said one or more scheduling data structures used by a scheduler in its determination of the order of processing a plurality of entities, wherein the plurality of entities are distinct from the plurality of primary scheduling entries and from the plurality of secondary scheduling entries; and wherein the plurality of entities are not stored in said one or more scheduling data structures; the scheduler determining a next primary scheduling entry of the plurality of primary scheduling entries, said determined next primary scheduling entry including a scheduling mechanism indicator which is a value defining which of a plurality of options to process, said options including: (a) an entity corresponding to said determined next primary scheduling entry, and (b) one or more entities corresponding to one or more next secondary scheduling entries in the plurality of secondary scheduling entries; and in response to the scheduling mechanism indicator of said determined next primary scheduling entry causing the processing of said defined option.