Abstract:
This invention relates to databases and methods for storing and searching data in database tree structures. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to the processing of data stored in database tree structures for use in data packet routing applications. The invention allows searching of data in a database where one or more nodes stored in the database have associated node keys which are prefixes of node keys associated with other nodes stored in the database. The invention thus allows a wider range of node keys to be represented in the database. Limited access to node keys is required during searching of the database and the search speed is advantageously independent of search key length.
Abstract:
This invention relates to databases and methods for storing and searching data in database tree structures. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to the processing of data stored in database tree structures for use in data packet routing applications. The invention allows searching of data in a database where one or more nodes stored in the database have associated node keys which arc prefixes of node keys associated with other nodes stored in the database. The invention thus allows a wider range of node keys to be represented in the database. Limited access to node keys is required during searching of the database and the search speed is advantageously independent of search key length.