METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AN INTERLEAVED NON-BLOCKING PACKET BUFFER

摘要

Memory interleaving is performed to increase bandwidth of a common memory in a non-blocking switch. The switch receives packets from a pluralit y of ingress ports, stores the packets in the common memory, and forwards the packets to a plurality of egress ports. The common memory is physically divided into tw o banks to provide two way interleaving. Two way interleaving is performed by readin g a packet to be forwarded to an egress port from one bank concurrently with writing a packet received from an ingress port to the other bank. The common memory is physically divided into four banks to provide four way interleaving. Four wa y interleaving is performed by concurrently reading and writing two even banks or two odd banks. Bank balancing techniques are also provided to keep the banks of the common memory at the same level of occupancy.