Patent ID: 8537825

Claim:
A traffic manager device configured to provide uninterrupted access to a network traffic handling table during table updates, the device comprising: a memory configured to store a set of processor executable instructions; a network transceiver configured to handle network traffic; a processor coupled to the network transceiver and the memory, the processor configured to execute the set of stored processor executable instructions which causes the processor to perform a method, the method further comprising: identifying a first classifier index associated with a data packet received via the network interface; identifying a second classifier index associated with the data packet; accessing a first classifier table to determine a current position in a first dimension of a network traffic handling table associated with the first classifier index; determining an open position in the first dimension of the network traffic handling table; copying existing packet handling data from the current position to one or more corresponding locations in the open position in the first dimension of the network traffic handling table; storing updated packet handling data within the open position in the network traffic handling table at a second dimension location indicated by the second classifier index; associating the open position with the first classifier index in the first classifier table, wherein the open position becomes a new current position associated with the first classifier index; designating the current position previously associated with the first classifier index as a new open position in the network traffic handling table; and determining the second dimension location indicated by the second classifier index by referencing a second classifier table associating a plurality of second dimension locations with a plurality of second classifier indices.