Efficient Content-Addressable Memory Entry Integrity Checking Including for Protecting the Accuracy of Packet Processing Operations

A method, comprising:

• for each particular single-bit position of a lookup word, a lookup unit performing a single-bit position lookup operation in a plurality of content-addressable memory entries against a first particular bit value at said particular single-bit position within the lookup word resulting in a particular match vector that includes an entry match result at the single-bit position for each of the plurality of content-addressable memory entries;
• and the lookup unit updating a first cumulative entry error detection vector storing entry error detection information for each of the plurality of content-addressable memory entries based on the particular match vector;
• and
• performing first error entry position processing based on the first cumulative entry error detection vector to detect and then correct which, if any, of said entries of the plurality of content-addressable memory entries have an identifiable error.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a content-addressable memory performing a single-bit position lookup operation in a plurality of content-addressable memory entries against a particular bit value at a single-bit position within a lookup word resulting in a match vector that includes an entry match result at the single-bit position for each of the plurality of content-addressable memory entries;
• bit-operation hardware determining an error detection value for the match vector;
• and
• comparison hardware that compares the error detection value to a predetermined detection code for the single-bit position to identify whether an error is detected in the single-bit position of at least one of the plurality of content-addressable memory entries.