Embedded programmable intelligent search memory (PRISM) that simultaneously performs regular expression based search and signature pattern based search

摘要

Memory architecture provides capabilities for high performance content search. The architecture creates an innovative memory that can be programmed with content search rules which are used by the memory to evaluate presented content for matching with the programmed rules. When the content being searched matches any of the rules programmed in the Programmable Intelligent Search Memory (PRISM) action(s) associated with the matched rule(s) are taken. The PRISM content search memory is embedded in a single core or multi-core processors or in multi-processor systems to perform content search. PRISM accelerates content search by offloading the content search tasks from the processors. Content search rules comprise of regular expressions which are converted to finite state automata and then programmed in PRISM for evaluating content with the search rules.