Typically Ternary Content Addressable Memories (TCAMs) are used for simple lookups inside forwarding or routing information bases in routers or switches. We propose a new application of TCAM as the element of switching fabric control module inside a switching node, which is able to directly determine the set of established connections that block an arriving connection. We propose an algorithm called TCAM-ALG that utilizes this feature when establishing and releasing connections. Usage of TCAM-ALG and no Central Processing Unit (CPU) in the proposed control module results in lower energy consumption than in case of control modules using three alternative algorithms utilizing Random-Access Memory (RAM) and a CPU.
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