Patent ID: 8243745

Claim:
A buffer management method in a packet communication apparatus having a linked list buffer, wherein the packet communication apparatus holds chain information and buffer size information, for structuring a linked list buffer for each user flow, in two areas consisting of an operation area and an update area, wherein the packet communication apparatus holds go-around information indicating that a write pointer and a read pointer, for reading/writing in the linked list buffer, have gone around the linked list buffer, wherein, while usually in service, the linked list buffer is structured by using the chain information in the operation area and the buffer size information in the same area such that a frame for the user flow is read/written in the linked list buffer, and wherein, when the chain information in the update area and the buffer size information in the same area have been changed, a queue size is changed by reflecting the changed chain information in the update area and the changed buffer size information in the same area into the operation area, when the go-around information indicates that the read pointer and the write pointer respectively have gone around the linked list buffer.