Patent ID: 11955174
Assignee: ARISTA NETWORKS, INC.
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. A method for selectively connecting a content-addressable memory (CAMs) to different data processing units, said method comprising:
receiving a first control input to connect a CAM to a first data processing unit (DPU) from among a plurality of DPUs via a connection matrix;
the connection matrix establishing a first directly connected electrical path between the CAM and the first DPU, in response to the first control input, wherein the first directly connected electrical path comprises a first data bus that connects the CAM to the connection matrix and a second data bus that connects the connection matrix and the first DPU;
exchanging data between the CAM and the first DPU along the first electrical path;
receiving a second control input to connect the CAM to a second DPU from among the plurality of DPUs via the connection matrix;
in response to receiving the second control input, the connection matrix:
disconnecting the first directly connected electrical path between the CAM and the first DPU; and
establishing a second directly connected electrical path between the CAM and the second DPU, wherein the second directly connected electrical path comprises the first data bus that connects the CAM to the connection matrix and a third data bus that connects the connection matrix to the second DPU; and
exchanging data between the CAM and the second DPU along the second directly connected electrical path,
wherein one or more directly connected electrical paths are selectively established between the CAM and any of the plurality of DPUs via the connection matrix.