Patent ID: 7327747

Claim:
A system for forwarding information in a communications system, comprising: a plurality of ingress content processors, each of the plurality of ingress content processors being associated with one of a plurality of traffic types, each ingress content processor operable to generate system cells carrying a payload associated with a respective one of the plurality of traffic types in response to receiving information in the respective one of the plurality of traffic types; a switch fabric operable to receive a plurality of system cells from the plurality of ingress content processors, wherein system cells carrying payloads associated with a first one of the plurality of traffic types has a higher priority than system cells carrying payloads associated with other ones of the plurality of traffic types, the switch fabric operable to separately queue system cells carrying payloads associated with the first one of the plurality of traffic types from system cells carrying payloads associated with other ones of the plurality of traffic types, the switch fabric operable to service system cells carrying payloads associated with the first one of the plurality of traffic types prior to servicing system cells carrying payloads associated with other ones of the plurality of traffic types, wherein the plurality of ingress content processors associated with the first one of the plurality of traffic types automatically transports system cells carrying payloads associated with the first one of the plurality of traffic types to the switch fabric; wherein ingress content processors associated with the first one of the plurality of traffic types forwards a system cell carrying payload information associated with the first one of the plurality of traffic types immediately upon generation; wherein the plurality of ingress content processors associated with the other ones of the plurality of traffic types provide system cells to the switch fabric in response to scheduling information; a bandwidth scheduler operable to generate the scheduling information to initiate transport of system cells carrying payloads associated with other ones of the plurality of traffic types; wherein the bandwidth scheduler is operable to continuously examine bandwidth needs of ingress content processors associated with the other ones of the plurality of traffic types in order to dynamically allocate bandwidth for system cell transport in accordance with the scheduling information.