Patent ID: 6363372
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for selecting a next available identifier, the method comprising the steps of:breaking an acceptable range of integer values that a plurality of unique identifiers may take into a number of banks; assigning the unique identifiers to each of the banks so that within each of the banks when empty there is a minimum value identifier and a maximum value identifier; counting a number of resident identifiers in each of the banks and setting a plurality of counted numbers that each correspond to a different one of the banks; identifying a first available bank of the banks having a lowest counted number of the counted numbers; determining a highest value of the resident identifiers in the first available bank; comparing the highest value in the first available bank to a maximum value of the available maximum value identifier in the first available bank; and when the highest value is less than the maximum value, assigning the next available identifier and a last highest value in the first available bank equal to a sum of the highest value plus an incremental value.