Patent ID: 7467129
Filing Date: 2008-12-16
Classification: G06F,Y02D,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus that performs database searches within a content addressable memory (CAM) structure, comprising: a memory; a plurality of databases stored in the memory; a first selector that selects at least two databases of the plurality of the databases for a simultaneous search, and performs a sequential search within the CAM structure on at least one database of the selected at least two databases, wherein first portions of each database of the at least two databases are searched in parallel based on only a respective portion of a complete search data, and last portions of said each database of the at least two databases are searched individually and serially based on a remaining portion of the complete search data; one or more memory banks, said each database being stored in at least one memory bank; a plurality of segment groups in each memory bank corresponding to groups of database subcomponents, each segment group includes a plurality of segments; and an output section that outputs a search result that is based on the parallel and serial searches, wherein the complete search data for the parallel and serial searches of all of the at least two databases is provided in a number of clock cycles equal to (s−1)+m, wherein s equals a number of the segment groups within each memory bank of the memory banks, and m equals a total number of databases in the at least two databases.