IP Address Sorting via Hierarchical Page Clustering
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Solution Overview
Problem
As the number of data elements increases, existing methods for structuring and searching data sets become cumbersome, requiring more processor power and memory, and become slower.
Innovation Solution
A method for sorting IP addresses by dividing the range into contiguous sub-ranges and assigning each IP address to a cluster, with each cluster having a defined size, and then assigning these clusters to pages with a page size limit, allowing for efficient ordering and processing of IP addresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If linear search or binary search methods are used on unstructured or traditionally structured data sets, then the searching process is simple to implement, but the processing speed becomes slower and processor power requirements increase as the number of data elements increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the data set into multiple pages, with each page containing a sorted subset of data elements. This segmentation allows the search process to first identify the relevant page and then perform a localized search within that page, significantly reducing the search space and improving search speed while maintaining manageable structure complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the data structure by organizing data into pages with page identifiers. This adds a first dimension (page level) and a second dimension (element level within page), transforming a single-dimensional linear search into a two-dimensional hierarchical search that improves efficiency
2Quantity of substance
If more processor power and memory are allocated to handle larger data sets, then the data can be processed, but the processing becomes more cumbersome and slower
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the large data set into multiple smaller pages, the patent enables more efficient processing. Each page can be independently managed and searched, reducing the overhead associated with processing large monolithic data structures and improving overall productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The data elements within each page are pre-sorted in ascending order. This preliminary sorting action within each page enables faster localized searches without requiring the entire large data set to be sorted, thus improving processing efficiency for large data volumes
3Quantity of substance
If the data set is structured to accommodate more elements, then more data can be stored, but the search and processing operations become more complex and resource-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large data set into multiple pages, allowing the system to store more data elements while keeping each page's internal structure manageable. This segmentation reduces the processor power needed for search operations compared to handling a single large unstructured data set
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of sorting and processing the entire large data set, the patent applies sorting only to elements within each individual page. This partial sorting action reduces the total computational energy required while still enabling efficient searches within each page's scope
Data Source
AI summary
A computer executed method is disclosed for sorting a plurality of internet protocol (IP) addresses. The method includes dividing the range of IP addresses into a plurality of clusters representing a plurality of contiguous sub-ranges, assigning each IP address to the cluster associated with the sub-range that includes that IP address, and assigning the IP addresses in each cluster to one of a plurality of pages. If one of the pages has a size less than a page size limit, the method includes duplicating on that page at least one of the IP addresses assigned to that page. For each page, the IP addresses assigned to that page are ordered by numeric value. A network appliance incorporating aspects of the method is also disclosed.