Managing a position-dependent data set that is stored in a content addressable memory array at a network node

• US 20030225964A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riverstone Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Riverstone Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Mehta, Apurva, Krishnan, Ram, MacFaden, Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,961,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices

Abstract

Managing a position-dependent data set that is stored in a content addressable memory (CAM) array involves identifying an instance of a base position-dependent data set that exists in software, identifying an instance of an edited position-dependent data set that exists in software, determining differences between the instance of the base position-dependent data set that exists in software and the instance of the edited position-dependent data set that exists in software, and incorporating the differences between the instance of the base position-dependent data set that exists in software and the instance of the edited position-dependent data set that exists in software into an instance of said base position-dependent data set that exists in a CAM array.

Claims

1. A method for managing a position-dependent data set that is stored in a content addressable memory (CAM) array comprising:

identifying an instance of a base position-dependent data set that exists in software;

identifying an instance of an edited position-dependent data set that exists in software;

determining differences between said instance of said base position-dependent data set that exists in software and said instance of said edited position-dependent data set that exists in software; and

incorporating said differences between said instance of said base position-dependent data set that exists in software and said instance of said edited position-dependent data set that exists in software into an instance of said base position-dependent data set that exists in a CAM array.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said edited position-dependent data set is an edited version of said base position-dependent data set.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining differences between said instance of said base position-dependent data set that exists in software and said instance of said edited position-dependent data set that exists in software includes applying a DIFF function.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a linked list to incorporate said differences between said instance of said base position-dependent data set that exists in software and said instance of said edited position-dependent data set that exists in software into said instance of said base position-dependent data set that exists in said CAM array.

5. A method for managing an access control list (ACL) that is stored in a content addressable memory (CAM) array comprising:

identifying an instance of a base ACL that exists in software;

identifying an instance of an edited ACL that exists in software;

determining differences between said instance of said base ACL that exists in software and said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software; and

incorporating said differences between said instance of said base ACL that exists in software and said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software into an instance of said base ACL that exists in a CAM array.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said edited ACL is an edited version of said base ACL.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said determining differences between said instance of said base ACL that exists in software and said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software includes applying a DIFF function.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising using a linked list to incorporate said differences between said instance of said base ACL that exists in software and said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software into said instance of said base ACL that exists in said CAM array.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising using said differences to modify said linked list to yield a modified linked list.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising using said modified linked list to identify an available location to insert an ACL entry in said CAM array.

11. The method claim 9 further comprising using said modified linked list to identify an available location to insert an ACL entry in said CAM array that maintains a designated order of ACL entries that form said ACL.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising using a changeable sequence number to identify a position of an ACL entry within an ACL.

13. A method for managing an access control list (ACL) that is stored in a content addressable memory (CAM) array comprising:

identifying a linked list that represents a base ACL that is stored in a CAM array;

identifying a linked list that represents an edited ACL;

determining differences between said linked list that represents said base ACL and said linked list that represents said edited ACL;

using said differences to modify said linked list that represents said base ACL to generate an edited linked list; and

using said edited linked list to incorporate modifications dictated by said differences into said base ACL that is stored in said CAM array.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said determining differences between said linked list that represents said base ACL and said linked list that represents said edited ACL includes applying a DIFF function.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising using said edited linked list to identify an available location in said CAM array to insert an ACL entry.

16. The method claim 13 further comprising using said edited linked list to identify an available location in said CAM array to insert an ACL entry that maintains a designated order of ACL entries that form said ACL.

17. A method for managing an access control list (ACL) that is stored in a content addressable memory (CAM) array comprising:

identifying an instance of a base ACL that exists in software;

editing said instance of said base ACL that exists in software to create an instance of an edited ACL that exists in software;

determining differences between said instance of said base ACL that exists in software and said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software; and

incorporating said differences between said instance of said base ACL that exists in software and said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software into an instance of said base ACL that exists in a CAM array.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising using a linked list to incorporate said differences between said instance of said base ACL that exists in software and said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software into said instance of said base ACL that exists in said CAM array.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising using said differences between said instance of said base ACL that exists in software and said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software to modify said linked list to yield a modified linked list.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising using said modified linked list to identify an available location to insert an ACL entry in said CAM array.

21. The method claim 19 further comprising using said modified linked list to identify an available location to insert an ACL entry in said CAM array that maintains a designated order of ACL entries that form said ACL.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein said determining differences between said instance of said base ACL that exists in software and said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software includes applying a DIFF function.

23. A method for managing an access control list (ACL) that is stored in a content addressable memory (CAM) array comprising:

identifying a linked list that represents a base access control list;

identifying a linked list that represents an edited access control list;

applying a DIFF function to said linked list that represents said edited access control list set and said linked list that represents said base access control list set to determine changes that need to be made in order to make said linked list that represents said base access control list the same as said linked list that represents said edited access control list, said changes being represented by a DIFF output;

modifying said linked list that represents said base access control list based on said DIFF output to make said linked list that represents said base access control list the same as said linked list that represents said edited access control list; and

using said modified linked list to determine how to populate said CAM array.

24. A system for managing a position-dependent data set that is stored in a content addressable memory (CAM) array comprising:

a CAM array configured to store an instance of a base position-dependent data set;

a list editor configured to receive user input that defines an instance of an edited position-dependent data set that exists in software;

a comparison function engine configured to determine differences between said instance of said edited position-dependent data set that exists in software and an instance of said base position-dependent data set that exists in software; and

a list control module configured to incorporate differences between said instance of said edited position-dependent data set that exists in software and said instance of said base position-dependent data set that exists in software into an instance of said base position-dependent data set that exists in said CAM array.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said edited position-dependent data set is an edited version of said base position-dependent data set.

26. A system for managing an access control list (ACL) that is stored in a content addressable memory (CAM) array comprising:

a CAM array configured to store an instance of a base ACL;

an access list editor configured to receive user input that defines an instance of an edited ACL that exists in software;

a comparison function engine configured to determine differences between said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software and an instance of said base ACL that exists in software; and

an access list control module configured to incorporate differences between said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software and said instance of said base ACL that exists in software into an instance of said base ACL that exists in said CAM array.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said edited ACL is an edited version of said base ACL.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein said comparison function engine applies a DIFF function to said instance of said edited ACL that exists in software and to said instance of said base ACL that exists in software.