Transactional memory that performs an atomic look-up, add and lock operation

The method comprising:

• (a) storing a data structure table in a memory, wherein the data structure table includes a plurality of data structures, wherein each data structure includes a plurality of data structure fields, and wherein each of the data structures has an associated hash bucket location;
• (b) storing a hash table in the memory, wherein the hash table includes a plurality of hash buckets, wherein each hash bucket includes a plurality of hash bucket locations, wherein each hash bucket location includes a lock field and a hash key field, and wherein each of the hash buckets has an associated hash index;
• (c) receiving a first Atomic Look-Up, Add, and Lock (ALAL) command and a first hash key from a processor onto a transactional memory, wherein a first hash index is part of the first ALAL command, and wherein a first data structure is associated with the first hash key and the hash index;
• (d) using the first hash index on the transactional memory to read a first hash bucket from the hash table;
• (e) determining on the transactional memory that the contents stored in one of the hash bucket locations of the first hash bucket matches the first hash key;
• (f) locking the first data structure by setting a lock field in the matching hash bucket location, wherein the locking is performed so that only the processor can access the first data structure while the first data structure is locked;
• and
• (g) causing an indicator of the hash bucket location of the matching contents of (e) to be sent to the processor, wherein (a) through (g) are performed by the transactional memory, wherein (c) through (g) are performed by a hardware engine of the transactional memory, wherein the hardware engine does not fetch instructions, and wherein the transactional memory does not store instructions that can be fetched by the hardware engine.

A method, comprising:

• (a) receiving a first Atomic Look-Up, Add, and Lock (ALAL) command, wherein a first hash index is part of the first ALAL command;
• (b) using the first ALAL command to request a first hash key from a processor, and wherein the first hash key has a first associated data structure;
• (c) using the first hash index and the first hash key to perform a hash lookup operation and thereby determining that the first hash key is present in a hash table;
• (d) as a result of (c) locking the first data structure by setting a lock field in a hash bucket location;
• and
• (e) returning to the processor information indicative of a location of the first data structure, wherein (a) through (d) are performed by a hardware engine of a transactional memory, wherein the hardware engine does not fetch instructions, and wherein the transactional memory does not store instructions that can be fetched by the hardware engine.