Patent ID: 9219694
Filing Date: 2015-12-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system for classifying packets having multiple arguments, the system comprising: a set of ternary content addressable memory blocks holding classification rules dependent on multiple arguments, wherein classification rules of the blocks are configured to be associatively searched as a group for particular argument values and wherein a number of activated blocks participating in the group is controlled by a selection signal; a pre-classifier circuit holding pre-classification rules dependent only on a predetermined subset of the multiple arguments, wherein the pre-classifier receives a packet and matches it to a pre-classification rule based on the subset of the multiple arguments to identify a subset of the blocks likely holding classification rules linked to the packet, and wherein the matching pre-classification rule provides the selection signal activating the subset of blocks for receiving the packet to perform an associative search of the multiple arguments of the packet; and wherein the classification rules and pre-classification rule are contained in different blocks of a single ternary content addressable memory, the different blocks sharing the same data lines to receive at least a portion of the packet in tandem.