Hash-Based Data Matching Using Lookup Tables
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed data searching devices like CAM and TCAM face challenges of high cost, high power consumption, and complex configuration updating, limiting their efficiency in network applications.
Innovation Solution
A data matching method and apparatus utilizing a lookup table generated based on content to be searched, with hash processing to obtain a hash index value for keyword matching, reducing costs and power consumption by employing a treelike structure that avoids redundant entries and hash conflicts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If CAM or TCAM is used for high-speed data searching, then searching speed is improved, but cost and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data searching function into two parts: a hash function that generates index values, and a standard memory that stores data organized by these indexes. This segmentation replaces the monolithic CAM/TCAM structure with a distributed hash table approach, achieving high-speed searching through hash computation while using standard memory components that consume less power.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the specialized CAM/TCAM hardware mechanism with a software-based hash function combined with standard memory. The hash function computes index values from search keys, and the standard memory retrieves data using these indexes, replacing the complex comparison logic of CAM/TCAM with a simpler hash-based access mechanism that reduces power consumption.
2Speed
If CAM or TCAM is used for high-speed data searching, then searching speed is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses standard memory components that are significantly cheaper than CAM or TCAM devices. By organizing data in a hash table structure within standard memory and using a software hash function for access, the system achieves comparable searching performance at a fraction of the hardware cost, making the solution more economically viable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a logical copy of the data structure organization used in CAM/TCAM systems but implements it using standard memory with hash-based indexing. This copying approach allows the system to replicate the high-speed access characteristics of CAM/TCAM while using more cost-effective standard memory hardware.
3Productivity
If CAM or TCAM is used for data searching, then searching capability is improved, but configuration updating complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic hash table structure where data can be easily added, removed, or updated by simply modifying the hash table entries and their corresponding index values. This dynamic organization allows for flexible configuration updates without the complexity of reconfiguring CAM or TCAM hardware, enabling rapid adaptation to changing data requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of data organization from fixed-address CAM/TCAM structures to hash-based indexing. This parameter change allows configuration updates to be performed by computing new hash indexes and updating corresponding memory entries, significantly simplifying the configuration process compared to traditional CAM/TCAM reconfiguration methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A data matching method includes that: a lookup table is generated according to a content to be searched; hash processing is performed on a keyword to be searched to obtain a hash index value of the keyword to be searched; and a matched content to be searched is found in the lookup table according to the hash index value of the keyword to be searched. Meanwhile, a data matching apparatus is provided.