PACKET STORAGE DISTRIBUTION BASED ON AVAILABLE MEMORY

A method for receiving a packet descriptor including a priority indicator and a queue number indicating a queue stored within a first memory unit, storing a packet associated with the packet descriptor in a second memory, determining a first amount of free memory in the first memory unit, determining if the first amount of free memory is above a threshold value, writing the packet from the second memory to a third memory when the first amount of memory is above the threshold value and the priority indicator is equal to a first value, not writing the packet from the second memory unit to the third memory unit if the first amount of memory is below the threshold value or when the priority indicator is equal to a second value. The priority indicator is equal to a first value for high priority packets and a second value for low priority packets.