Method and apparatus for packet matching, network device, and medium

An apparatus for packet matching, which comprises:

• a configuration module to add N first data packets into N pipelines and configure a stage for each pipeline as a root node of a decision tree, wherein, each of nodes of the decision tree represents a prefix length and prefix lengths for the nodes of the decision tree are different from each other;
• a prefetch module to calculate a first hash value for a first pipeline in the N pipelines, and asynchronously prefetch a first output interface data corresponding to the first hash value from a memory, store the first output interface data in a cache, calculate a second hash value for a second pipeline in the N pipelines while prefetching the first output interface data from the memory, and repeatedly perform a process of asynchronously prefetching output interface data corresponding to hash values from the memory, and storing the output interface data in the cache, and calculating hash values of the pipelines while prefetching output interface data from the memory stops until calculation of a hash value for each pipeline in the N pipelines is finished, wherein, the hash value for each pipeline is a hash value of a destination address for a data packet in the pipeline and a prefix length represented by the stage;
• an obtaining module to obtain the first output interface data from the cache when calculation of the hash value for each pipeline in the N pipelines is finished, and
• the configuration module is further to delete a first data packet in the first pipeline from the first pipeline when the first output interface data is characterized as being used to forward the first data packet in the first pipeline and add a second data packet into the first pipeline when receiving the second data packet.