Data string storage device and method of storing and retrieving data strings

摘要

A data storage device for storing data strings each including units of data has a plurality of memory sections each for storing therein a table, a plurality of processor elements one provided for each of the tables and a controlling unit having an internal memory in which data strings are stored. The table contains a plurality of records each including a unit of data, a first index data representative of the number of units of data of a data string which the unit of data constitutes and a second index data unique to each individual data string. The processor elements access in parallel their associated tables under control of the control unit for data storage and data retrieval. The first and index data are generated by the controller for the purpose of data storage. For retrieval of data strings: a key data string is divided into units of data; retrieval keys are produced each from a combination of one of the divided units of data and a third index data representing the number of units of data of the key data string; second index data are retrieved in parallel in the tables of the data storage device with the retrieval keys so that a single second index data common to all of the retrieved second index data is found among them; and a data string corresponding to the found common second index data is outputted from the internal memory of the storage device.