Apparatus and method for resolving security association database update coherency in high-speed systems having multiple security channels

In a system having multiple security channels, a method of modifying an entry in a security association database, the method associated with each channel comprising:

• requesting access to a predetermined address location in the security association database;
• assigning a weight value to the request based on a sequential order of the request relative to access requests to the predetermined address location made by other of the security channels;
• retrieving the security association data structure from the predetermined address location when, based on the weight value assigned to the request, the channel has a higher priority request relative to the other security channel requests;
• modifying the retrieved security association data structure;
• determining whether a write buffer is busy;
• writing the modified security association data structure to the write buffer when it is not busy;
• and
• writing the modified security association data structure to the predetermined address location in the security association database from the write buffer.

A computer-readable medium containing computer executable code for instructing one or more security channels in a computer system having multiple security channels to modify an entry in a security association database, the instructions comprising:

• requesting access to a predetermined address location in the security association database;
• assigning a weight value to the request based on a sequential order of the request relative to access requests to the predetermined address location made by other of the security channels;
• retrieving the security association data structure from the predetermined address location when, based on the weight value assigned to the request, no other security channel has a higher priority to do so;
• modifying the retrieved security association data structure;
• and
• writing the modified security association data structure to the predetermined address location in the security association database.