Patent ID: 7483537

Claim:
A method of responding to a request for a key of a first length, said method comprising: storing a plurality of cached keys, wherein each cached key is one of a plurality of lengths; storing a plurality of threshold values, each associated with a respective length of said lengths, wherein each threshold value represents a maximum number of said cached keys of said respective length to store; receiving said request for said key of said first length; determining whether any one of said cached keys satisfies said request by identifying any one of said plurality of cached keys if any one of said cached keys is one of said first length; if any one of said plurality of cached keys is of said first length, selecting a cached key of said first length and removing said selected cached key from said plurality of cached keys; adjusting said threshold values based on consumption of said cached keys; and in response to said request, providing access to said selected cached key of said first length.