Patent ID: 6704313
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A method of associating forwarding references to data packets by means of a TRIE memory, which comprises analysing in succession, from different gate registers of the TRIE memory, different portions of a header of each packet, said header containing protocol data, wherein in response to the arrival of a packet, the header of said packet is stored in a buffer memory and a first portion of the stored header is analysed, wherein each analysis of a header portion of a packet produces either the forwarding reference associated with the packet or an intermediate reference containing a first code, making it possible to locate at any location of the buffer memory a next portion to be analysed, and a second code, making it possible to locate, at any location of the TRIE memory, a gate register from which said next portion is to be analysed, and wherein, after the first portion of a stored header has been analysed, subsequent portions of said header are analysed in accordance with the first and second codes contained in the intermediate references produced in succession until the forwarding reference is produced.