Importance

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Abstract

Improved packet scheduling methods and apparatuses for use in, among other things, a network interface of a router (or other network element) are described herein. In one such improved method, packets buffered in a network interface are segmented for transmission on a communications link into multiple scheduling domains each being represented by a scheduling tree, each scheduling tree is assigned to a separate virtual port scheduling engine, and a top level scheduling engine is employed to schedule between the outputs of the virtual port scheduling engines to make the final choice of which buffered packet to transmit on the communications link (e.g., to move to the transmit queue of the network interface). By having the virtual port scheduling engines operate in parallel and substantially independently of each other, the rate at which packet can be moved into the transmit queue may increase greatly, thereby increasing the bandwidth of the network interface of the router.

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First Claim