Storing and retrieving connection information using bidirectional hashing of connection identifiers

A network appliance configured to store and retrieve instructions for handling a packet corresponding to a connection comprising:

• a connection storing processor configured to:
• hash an incoming flow identifier for incoming packets to obtain an incoming hash;
• hash an outgoing flow identifier for outgoing packets to obtain an outgoing hash;
• insert an incoming entry corresponding to the incoming hash in a bi-directional hash table;
• and
• insert an outgoing entry corresponding to the outgoing hash in a bi-directional hash table;
• a connection finding processor configured to:
• hash a packet identifier to obtain a packet hash;
• and
• determine a matching entry in the bi-directional hash table that corresponds to the packet hash;
• and
• a memory configured to store the bi-directional hash table.

A computer readable medium including program code for storing and retrieving information for handling a packet corresponding to a connection, the program code comprising instructions for.

• hashing an incoming flow identifier for incoming packets to obtain an incoming hash;
• hashing an outgoing flow identifier for outgoing packets to obtain an outgoing hash;
• inserting an incoming entry corresponding to the incoming hash in a bi-directional hash table;
• inserting an outgoing entry corresponding to the outgoing hash in a bi-directional hash table;
• hashing a packet identifier to obtain a packet hash;
• and
• determining a matching entry in the bidirectional hash table that corresponds to the packet hash.