Nortel Networks Corporation

Shekhar Kshirsagar

Richard H Crump

Janet Doong

Described are a system and method of providing simultaneous lock-free access by a write process and at least one read process to records. The records are organized according to a first search data structure and according to a second search data structure. When searching for a particular record, the search occurs along a search path determined by the first search data structure until a record is accessed that indicates that the first search data structure is in an intermediate state. The searching for the particular record then continues along a search path determined by the second search data structure in response to the record that indicates that the first search data structure is in an intermediate state.

Concurrent lock-free access to a record by write and read processes

Described are a system and computer-implemented method for searching and updating a routing table for forwarding IP packets through a communications network. Records containing IP address prefixes are organized in a binary tree data structure. When inserting a new record, one of the records in the binary tree data structure is identified as an enclosing record having an associated record data range that encloses record data of the new record. An enclosing pointer of the new record is set to point to the identified enclosing record. When searching for a longest matching prefix for a destination IP address, the binary tree data structure is traversed and one of the records in the binary tree data structure is identified as an enclosing record, which is returned as the longest matching prefix.

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Lexington, MA, United States of America

Shekhar Kshirsagar