Patent ID: 6311212
Filing Date: 2001-10-30
Classification: G06F,H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A networking system device comprising:a local memory for storing a first plurality of virtual connection descriptors (VCDs); anda network processor, including:a) a cache memory for storing a second plurality of VCDs;b) a processing engine, coupled to the local memory and to the cache memory, for processing VCDs; andc) a content-addressable memory (CAM), coupled to the processing engine, wherein the CAM stores cache addresses of the second plurality of VCDs stored in the cache memory;wherein the processing engine sends a first VCD identifier associated with a first VCD to the CAM, wherein the CAM reads the first VCD identifier and responds to the processing engine with one of a hit signal indicating that the first VCD is stored in the cache memory and a miss signal indicating that the first VCD is not stored in the cache memory, wherein the processing engine accesses the first VCD in the cache memory if the hit signal is received, and wherein the processing engine accesses the first VCD in the local memory in response to the miss signal.