Patent ID: 8745064

Claim:
A method, comprising: populating a hash table with a first new digest value; wherein the first new digest value is associated with a first data item; wherein the hash table comprises a plurality of index positions; wherein the hash table is located in memory of a computer; wherein the populating step comprises: storing the first new digest value at least at a first index position and a second index position of the hash table, wherein, prior to the storing step, the first index position contains a first old digest value, and wherein the second index position contains a second old digest value; wherein the storing step comprises: determining the first index position, and the second index position of the hash table based on an attribute of the first data item, wherein the determining step comprises: first producing a first hash value via a first data conversion module; and second producing a second hash value via a second data conversion module; wherein the first hash value is associated with the first index position; wherein the second hash value is associated with the second index position; first comparing the first new digest value to the first old digest value; second comparing the first new digest value to the second old digest value; first replacing the first old digest value with the first new digest value; and second replacing the second old digest value with the first new digest value.