Patent ID: 7746865

Claim:
A method in a router comprising: generating a first address prefix and a second address prefix by masking the first address prefix with a first mask and the second address prefix with a second mask in response to receiving a first new address with a first port identifier and a second new address with a second port identifier, discarding the first address prefix and the second address prefix if the first address prefix and the second address prefix are absorbable by a third address prefix, wherein the third address prefix is stored in a content addressable memory prior to receiving the first new address and the second new address, storing the first port identifier and the second port identifier with the third address prefix in addition to a third port identifier stored with the third address prefix prior to receiving the first new address and the second new address, extracting a destination address from a received data unit, generating a first masked destination address by masking the destination address using a third mask, sending the data unit to a third port identified by the third port identifier if the first masked destination address matches with at least a first portion of the third address prefix, wherein the length of the first portion is at least greater than a length of a second mask and less than the length of the third mask.