Integrated circuit that processes communication packets with scheduler circuitry that executes scheduling algorithms based on cached scheduling parameters

1. An integrated circuit that processes communication packets the integrated circuit comprising:

a core processor configured to execute a software application that directs the core processor to process the communication packets;

a coprocessor comprising a plurality of context buffers for storing context associated with packets wherein each of said context buffers having an in-use counter indicating the number of packets associated with the contents of said buffer,

the co-processor configured to automatically pre-fetch and store context for each packet into the context buffers wherein first scheduling parameters are part of the context, whereby the context is preserved until the in-use counter reaches zero, and

scheduling circuitry configured to retrieve the first scheduling parameters stored in the context buffer for each packet and execute a first algorithm based on the first scheduling parameters to schedule subsequent transmission of the communication packet.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the scheduling circuitry is configured to retrieve second scheduling parameters stored in the context buffer, and concurrently with the execution of the first algorithm, execute a second algorithm based on the second scheduling parameters to schedule the subsequent transmission of the communication packet.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein the first algorithm and the second algorithm comprise guaranteed cell rate algorithms.

4. He integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein scheduling circuitry is configured to update the first scheduling parameters and write the updated scheduling parameters to the context buffer.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the first scheduling parameters indicate a first priority level and a second priority level, wherein the first priority level has a higher priority than the second priority level, and wherein the scheduling circuitry is configured to first attempt to schedule the transmission of the communication packet with the second priority level, and if unsuccessful then to attempt to schedule the transmission of the communication packet with the first priority level.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 5 wherein the highest priority level is for scheduling constant bit rate traffic.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 6 wherein a lowest priority level is for scheduling available bit rate traffic.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein a first priority level is for scheduling real-time traffic, a second priority level is for scheduling non-real-time traffic, and wherein the first priority level has a higher priority than the second priority level.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the scheduling circuitry is configured to operate in parallel with the core processor.

10. A method of operating an integrated circuit to process communication packets, the method comprising:

in a core processor, executing a software application that directs the core processor to process the communication packets;

in a co-processor, storing context associated with packets in a plurality of context buffers, wherein each of said context buffers having an in-use counter indicating the number of packets associated with the contents of said buffer,

in the co-processor, automatically pre-fetching and storing context for each packet into the context buffers wherein first scheduling parameters are part of the context, whereby the context is preserved until the in-use counter reaches zero, and

in scheduling circuitry, retrieving first scheduling parameters stored in the context buffer for each packet and executing a first algorithm based on the first scheduling parameters to schedule subsequent transmission of the communication packet.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising, in the scheduling circuitry, retrieving second scheduling parameters cached in the context buffer, and concurrently with the execution of the first algorithm, executing a second algorithm based on the second scheduling parameters to schedule the subsequent transmission of the communication packet.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first algorithm and the second algorithm comprise guaranteed cell rate algorithms.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising, in the scheduling circuitry, updating the first scheduling parameters and writing the updated scheduling parameters to the context buffer.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the first scheduling parameters indicate a first priority level and a second priority level, wherein the first priority level has a higher priority than the second priority level, and wherein executing the first algorithm based on the first scheduling parameters to schedule the subsequent transmission of the communication packet comprises first attempting to schedule the transmission of the communication packet with the second priority level, and if unsuccessful, then attempting to schedule the transmission of the communication packet with the first priority level.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the highest priority level is for scheduling constant bit rate traffic.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein a lowest one of the priority levels is for scheduling available bit rate traffic.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein a first priority level is for scheduling real-time traffic, a second priority level is for scheduling non-real-time traffic, an wherein the first priority level has a higher priority than the second priority level.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the scheduling circuitry operates in parallel with the core processor.