Method and apparatus to update a cache for security records

An article comprising a storage medium that stores instructions which when executed result in:

• marking each security record entry in a hardware table as a replacement candidate based upon passage of a determined time interval, each security record entry having a set of security parameters;
• upon receiving a packet having a security record, checking the hardware table for a security record entry corresponding to the security record;
• checking whether there is a replacement candidate if there is no security record entry corresponding to the security record;
• and
• adding the security record to the cache if there is a replacement candidate.

An apparatus comprising:

• a hardware offloading device;
• a memory associated with the hardware offloading device, wherein the memory includes a hardware table;
• and
• a device driver is configured to:
• mark every security record entry in the hardware table as a replacement candidate based upon passage of a determined time intervals, each security record entry having a set of security parameters;
• upon receiving a packet having a security record, check the hardware table for a security record entry corresponding to the security record;
• checking to determine whether there is a replacement candidate in the hardware table if there is no security record entry corresponding to the security record;
• replacing the security record entry containing the replacement candidate with the security record if there is a replacement candidate.