Associative memory entries with force no-hit and priority indications of particular use in implementing policy maps in communication devices
First Claim
1. A method for performing operations for programming one or more associative memories, the method comprising:
- identifying a specified policy map;
determining a set of entries based on the specified policy map; and
associating a force no-hit indication with one or more entries of the set of entries;
wherein the force no-hit indication, when associated with a determined highest-matching entry of a group of entries participating in a lookup operation, causes the result of the lookup operation for the group of entries to be considered as not resulting in a hit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for defining and using associative memory entries with force no-hit and priority indications of particular use in implementing policy maps in communication devices. In one use, a set of entries is determined based on a policy map with a force no-hit indication being associated with one or more of the entries. Additionally, programmable priority indications may be associated with one or more of the entries, or with the associative memory devices, associative memory banks, etc. The force no-hit indications are often used in response to identified deny instructions in an access control list or other policy map. A lookup operation is then performed on these associative memory entries, with highest matching result or results identified based on the programmed and/or implicit priority level associated with the entries, or with the associative memory devices, associative memory banks, etc.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for performing operations for programming one or more associative memories, the method comprising:
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identifying a specified policy map; determining a set of entries based on the specified policy map; and associating a force no-hit indication with one or more entries of the set of entries; wherein the force no-hit indication, when associated with a determined highest-matching entry of a group of entries participating in a lookup operation, causes the result of the lookup operation for the group of entries to be considered as not resulting in a hit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for performing operations for programming one or more associative memories, the method comprising:
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identifying a specified policy map; determining a set of entries based on the specified policy map; programming a plurality of banks of an associative memory with the set of entries; and associating a programmable priority level with each of the plurality of banks.
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8. An apparatus for programming one or more associative memories comprising:
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means for identifying a specified policy map; means for determining a set of entries based on the specified policy map; and means for associating a force no-hit indication with one or more entries of the set of entries; wherein the force no-hit indication, when associated with a determined highest-matching entry of a group of entries participating in a lookup operation, causes the result of the lookup operation for the group of entries to be considered as not resulting in a hit. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for programming one or more associative memories comprising:
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means for identifying a specified policy map; means for determining a set of entries based on the specified policy map; means for programming a plurality of banks of an associative memory with the set of entries, including means for associating a programmable priority level with each of the plurality of banks.
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15. An associative memory comprising:
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a plurality of associative memory banks; wherein each of said one or more associative memory banks includes a plurality of entries; and wherein each of the plurality of entries includes a force no-hit value field; wherein the force no-hit indication, when associated with a determined highest-matching entry of a group of entries participating in a lookup operation, causes the result of the lookup operation for the group of entries to be considered as not resulting in a hit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An associative memory comprising:
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a plurality of associative memory banks, wherein each of said one or more associative memory banks includes a plurality of entries; means for identifying a block highest priority matching entry for each of the plurality of associative memory banks; and means for identifying a highest priority one of said associative memory entries based on the block highest priority matching entry of each of the plurality of associative memory banks and values of the priority indication fields associated with the block highest priority matching entry of each of the plurality of associative memory banks.
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19. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing steps for performing operations for programming one or more associative memories, said steps comprising:
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identifying a specified policy map; determining a set of entries based on the specified policy map; and associating a force no-hit indication with one or more entries of the set of entries; wherein the force no-hit indication, when associated with a determined highest-matching entry of a group of entries participating in a lookup operation, causes the result of the lookup operation for the group of entries to be considered as not resulting in a hit. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing operations for programming one or more associative memories, said operations comprising:
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identifying a specified policy map; determining a set of entries based on the specified policy map; programming a plurality of banks of an associative memory with the set of entries; and associating a programmable priority level with each of the plurality of banks.
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Specification