Patent ID: 7203170

Claim:
A method for a network switch port for receiving and storing data included in incoming packets that vary in size and then forwarding the data from the network switch port, the method comprising the steps of: a. receiving each incoming packet and generating a cell sequence curresponding to the incoming packet, wherein each cell of the cell sequence contains a separate portion of the data included in the incoming packet, and wherein each cell of each generated cell sequence is of a uniform size; b. making a determination with respect to at least one cell of each cell sequence generated at step a as to whether to discard the cell or to store the cell in a memory, and then one of storing the cell in the memory or discarding the cell in accordance with the determination; c. reading cells out of the memory and forwarding them from the network switch port; and d. repetitively generating an estimate of an average number of cells stored in the memory during a period immediately preceding generation of the estimate, wherein the determination made at step b is a function of the generated estimate.