ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY WITH ENHANCED CAPABILITIES

摘要

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for performing lookup operations using associative memories, including, but not limited to modifying search keys within an associative memory based on modification mappings, forcing a no hi t condition in response to a highest priority matching entry including a force no hit indication, selecting among various sets or banks of associative memo ry entries in determining a lookup result, and detecting and propagating error conditions. In one implementation, each block retrieves a modification mappi ng from a local memory and modifies a received search key based on the mapping and received modification data. In one implementation, each of the associati ve memory entries includes a field for indicating that a successful match on th e entry should or should not force a no hit result. In one implementation, an indication of which associative memory blocks or sets of entries to use in a particular lookup operation is retrieved from memory.