To monitor connectivity, detect link failures, and monitor various performance parameters of computer networks, network devices such as network switches, routers, edge devices and the like periodically transmit a sequence of packets and perform detection and/or measurements using the sequence of packets. A sequence of packets is typically stored in a memory using buffers. For example, each packet is stored in a separate buffer, and the sequence of packets is maintained as a linear list, or a linked list, of the separate buffers. Storing the packets in separate buffers allows the network device to easily modify a sequence, for example by removing a particular packet from the sequence or adding a packet to the sequence. However, storage of packets in separate buffers typically results in inefficient usage of the memory due to unused memory space in the separate buffers.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds