Patent ID: 8874876

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a lookup memory having a primary table and a secondary table, wherein the secondary table includes a first set of ternary rules, and wherein the primary includes a set of binary rules, and wherein each binary rule is a binary version of at least one ternary rule from the first set of ternary rules; and a search engine that is coupled to the lookup memory, wherein the search engine includes: an controller that is configured to receive data words; and hash logic that is coupled to lookup memory and the controller, wherein the hash logic is configured to perform a binary search of the primary table to determine whether each data word matches at least one of the binary rules, and wherein, if there is a failed match by hash logic and primary table, the search engine is configured to perform a ternary search of the secondary table to determine whether the data word associated with the failed match matches at least one of the ternary rules from a second set of ternary rules.