Deterministic finite automata (DFA) instruction

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for searching for a pattern in input data that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

• write a DFA graph identifier into a respective one of a plurality of fields of an instruction for traversing nodes of a DFA graph, any of which can be, without prior definition, a start node at which processing of input data starts, the instruction being provided allows the processing of the input data to start at any node of the DFA graph, the DFA graph identifier identifying a previously-stored DFA graph to traverse, the DFA graph identifier comprising a base memory address providing a location in memory of where the identified DFA graph is stored;
• write an input data reference into a respective one of the plurality of fields identifying the start location of input data to be searched using the identified DFA graph;
• write an output reference into a respective one of the plurality of fields identifying the location in memory of results generated by traversing nodes of the identified DFA graph responsive to the input data;
• and
• forward the instruction to a DFA engine adapted to traverse the nodes of the identified DFA graph starting at the start node to process the input data and to provide results as instructed by the output reference.

A processor adapted to automatically process data, the processor comprising:

• means for providing an instruction including a plurality of fields for traversing nodes of a DFA graph, any of which can be without prior definition a start node at which processing of input data starts, the instruction being provided allows the processing of the input data to start at any node of the DFA graph;
• means for writing a DFA graph identifier into a respective one of a plurality of fields identifying which one of a plurality of previously-stored DFA graphs to traverse, the DFA graph identifier comprising a base memory address providing a location in memory of where the identified DFA graph is stored;
• means for writing an input reference into a respective one of the plurality of fields identifying input data to be processed using the identified DFA graph;
• means for writing an output reference into a respective one of the plurality of fields identifying output reference for storing results generated responsive to the processed input data;
• and
• means for forwarding the instruction to a DFA engine adapted to traverse the nodes of the identified DFA graph starting at the start node to process the input data and to provide results as instructed by the output reference.