1. A system comprising: one or more devices to: receive a word, of a block of words within traffic, on which to perform a forward error correction operation, the word including a plurality of samples, each one of the plurality of samples including respective encoded bits and respective reliability bits, the respective reliability bits corresponding to a respective level of reliability of the respective encoded bits, select, in a random manner, a first subset of samples of the plurality of samples, identify one or more first samples, from the first subset, associated with one or more of lowest reliability bits within the first subset, select a second subset of samples of the plurality of samples, identify one or more second samples, from the second subset, associated with one or more of lowest reliability bits within the second subset, create a first merged subset based on selected one or more first samples and on selected one or more second samples, select a third subset of samples of the plurality of samples, identify one or more third samples, from the third subset, associated with one or more of lowest reliability bits within the third subset, identify two or more fourth samples, from the first merged subset, associated with one or more of lowest reliability bits within the first merged subset, create a second merged subset based on selected one or more third samples and on selected two or more fourth samples, the selected one or more third samples being fewer than the selected two or more fourth samples, and each of the two or more fourth samples corresponding to an equal probability of being associated with the first subset or the second subset, generate one or more candidates words based on one or more samples from the second merged subset, and process the word using the one or more candidate words.
1. A system comprising: one or more devices to: receive a word, of a block of words within traffic, on which to perform a forward error correction operation, the word including a plurality of samples, each one of the plurality of samples including respective encoded bits and respective reliability bits, the respective reliability bits corresponding to a respective level of reliability of the respective encoded bits, select, in a random manner, a first subset of samples of the plurality of samples, identify one or more first samples, from the first subset, associated with one or more of lowest reliability bits within the first subset, select a second subset of samples of the plurality of samples, identify one or more second samples, from the second subset, associated with one or more of lowest reliability bits within the second subset, create a first merged subset based on selected one or more first samples and on selected one or more second samples, select a third subset of samples of the plurality of samples, identify one or more third samples, from the third subset, associated with one or more of lowest reliability bits within the third subset, identify two or more fourth samples, from the first merged subset, associated with one or more of lowest reliability bits within the first merged subset, create a second merged subset based on selected one or more third samples and on selected two or more fourth samples, the selected one or more third samples being fewer than the selected two or more fourth samples, and each of the two or more fourth samples corresponding to an equal probability of being associated with the first subset or the second subset, generate one or more candidates words based on one or more samples from the second merged subset, and process the word using the one or more candidate words. 7. The system of claim 1 , where, when creating the second merged subset, the one or more devices are further to: obtain a first weighting value associated with the third subset and a second weighting value associated with the second merged subset, the first weighting value being less than the second weighting value, and the first weighting value and the second weighting value enabling third samples, associated with the third subset, and fourth samples, associated with the second merged subset, to be apportioned within the second merged subset, select at least one third sample, from among the one or more third samples, based on the first weighting value, select at least two fourth samples, from among the two or more fourth samples, based on the second weighting value, and create the second merged subset based on the at least one third sample and the at least two fourth samples.