| CPC H04L 45/74591 (2022.05) [H04L 45/54 (2013.01); H04L 69/22 (2013.01)] | 21 Claims |
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1. A network device, comprising:
a packet processor configured to process packets communicated over a network, the processing including generating a search key representative of a packet, the search key including header information retrieved from the packet; and
a lookup engine coupled to the packet processor, the lookup engine comprising:
a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) configured to store a plurality of search patterns, the TCAM further configured to i) receive the search key from the packet processor, ii) compare the search key to the plurality of search patterns, and iii) in response to determining that the search key matches one or more search patterns stored in the TCAM, generate one or more indices corresponding to the one or more search patterns that match the search key;
a memory separate from the TCAM; and
a controller configured to:
retrieve from the memory separate from the TCAM respective priority information associated with the one or more search patterns, the respective priority information indicating one or more respective priority levels that are independent from one or more physical locations of the one or more search patterns within the TCAM,
select one search pattern, from among the one or more search patterns, at least by analyzing the respective priority information associated with the one or more search patterns, and
in connection with selecting the one search pattern, retrieve from the memory separate from the TCAM a processing rule that corresponds to the one selected search pattern and provide the processing rule to the packet processor to process the packet according to the processing rule.
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