Method and apparatus for optimizing usage of ternary content addressable memory (TCAM)

摘要

Various embodiments provide a method and apparatus for processing incoming packets in an efficient manner. A service ID bitmap indicating available services associated with the user is established. The available services are grouped into service set. Common service set having common set of rules is determined. A user associated with common service set and incoming traffic is identified. The incoming traffic is processed according to the common set of rules indicated by the service ID bitmap. The efficient use of Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM) results in faster search result, lower power consumption and chip footprint among others.

主权项

1. A method of processing incoming packets, the method comprising:
establishing for each of a plurality of users a respective service ID bitmap adapted to indicate one or more services associated with said each user wherein each service is associated with a corresponding set of rules instantiated into a memory, each rule being associated with a respective service ID, wherein the one or more services are common among some users, and a number of elements in the one or more services being common among said some users depends on a width of an available ternary content addressable memory (TCAM); grouping a plurality of services into a common service set associated with a common set of rules; determining each user associated with the common service set; and processing each received packet from the user associated with the common service set according to the associated common set of rules indicated by the respective service ID bitmap for said user.