Pointer management and content matching packet classification

Abstract

The present invention performs the series of table lookups in a radically different way than conventional systems. Specifically, the present invention performs the first table lookup conventionally to match a table entry with header information (say a first byte of header information), and assigns a first pointer to the matching first table lookup entry. For a byte, the first table lookup has 28 entries (256 entries). Then, departing from conventional systems, the present invention provides additional memory to the first pointer. The second byte of header information is stored in memory, the significant bit information of the second byte is stored in memory, and a logic operator (“=” or “<”) is stored in memory. The second table lookup has only two entries, true or false. The correct entry is matched with the information that has been stored in memory with the first pointer, and a second pointer is established. Again, with the second pointer, additional memory is allocated to store the third byte of header information, the significant bit information of the third byte, and a logic operator (“=” or “<”). This process is repeated for all of the header information.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.