Routing in a telecommunications network by looking up four level tables from four address elements respectively

摘要

A method for routing an information packet towards an output port of a telecommunication router comprising N output pods, said router receiving incoming packets comprising a destination address defined by four address elements. The method successively comprises the following steps : UL ST="-" LIlooking up a first-level table (LEVEL_1 table) from said first address element of said information packet; LIlooking up a second-level table (LEVEL_2 table) from said first and second address elements of said packet; LIsearching, a third-level table (LEVEL_3 table) allowing a third level of search, from said third address element of said packet; LIsearching, a fourth-level (LEVEL_4 table) table from said fourth address element of said packet. /UL Searching in the third and fourth level tables may be linear or dichotomizing. In this way the size of the routing table can be reduced, while still allowing fast processing of incoming packets. The invention also provides a router allowing easy integration in a VLSI circuit.