Patent ID: 6731643
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for routing information packets associated with addresses represented by numerical strings through routing apparatuses in a telecommunication network, wherein the routing apparatuses receive at their input information packets and route said packets on a plurality of outputs, said numerical strings by identifiable by at least part of a prefix, said method comprising:building a first set of numerical strings with variable length and contained in an address table, said address table being sorted and associated to a set of references to the outputs, said set of references being inserted in a mapping table; comparing a first address, incoming at the input and associated to an information packet, with said first set of numerical strings according to a longest prefix match criterion using a binary search method for performing the comparison, and utilizing the resulting reference to address the information packet to the corresponding output, wherein said comparing includes: providing for building a second set of numerical strings, contained in a sorted extended address table, said sorted extended table being derived from the first set of numerical strings; and wherein said second set of numerical strings is derived from the first set of numerical strings using a building-by-intervals method, operating on the intervals defined by the numerical strings belonging to said first set of numerical strings.