Method and an accumulator scoreboard for out-of-order rule response handling

1. A method of managing bundles of rule matching threads processed by one or more rule matching engines in a search processor, the method comprising:

recording, for each rule matching thread in a given bundle of rule matching threads, a rule matching result in association with a priority corresponding to the respective rule matching thread;

determining a final rule matching result, for the given bundle of rule matching threads, based at least in part on the priorities corresponding to the rule matching threads in the given bundle; and

generating a response state indicative of the determined final rule matching result for reporting to a host processor.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising recording, for each rule matching thread in the given bundle of rule matching threads, an identification of a rule walking engine initiating the rule matching thread.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising recording a count of the number of rule matching threads in the given bundle of rule matching threads.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein determining a final rule matching result includes:

maintaining an indication of expected priorities associated with rule matching threads in the given bundle; and

determining whether rule matching results are recorded for all rule matching threads associated with the expected priorities.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the rule matching result is indicative of a match, non-match, or error.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein determining a final rule matching result for the given bundle includes:

if the rule matching results recorded, corresponding to the rule matching threads in the given bundle, include at least one rule matching result indicative of a match or error, selecting from the at least one rule matching result indicative of a match or error the rule matching result with highest priority as the final rule matching result; or

if the rule matching results recorded, corresponding to the rule matching threads in the given bundle, include no rule matching result indicative of a match or error, determining the final rule matching result as indicative of a non-match.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein determining a final rule matching result includes determining a final rule matching result prior to recording all rule matching results associated with the rule matching threads in the given bundle.

8. A method according to claim 1 further comprising clearing rule matching results and respective indications of priorities upon generating the response state.

9. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

reporting the final rule matching result determined to a rule walking engine associated with the bundle of rule matching threads;

receiving instruction from the rule walking engine to report the response state to the host processor; and

reporting the response state to the host processor responsive to the received instruction.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein two or more sets of bundles of rule matching threads are managed simultaneously.

11. A processor comprising:

a plurality of rule walking engines configured to initiate bundles of rule matching threads;

multiple rule matching engines configured to process the rule matching threads and provide respective rule matching results;

a scoreboard module configured to:

record, for each rule matching thread in a given bundle of rule matching threads, a rule matching result in association with a priority corresponding to the respective rule matching thread;

determine a final rule matching result, for the given bundle of rule matching threads, based at least in part on the corresponding indications of priorities; and

generate a response state indicative of the determined final rule matching result for reporting to a host processor.

12. A processor according to claim 11 , wherein the scoreboard module is further configured to record, for each rule matching thread in the given bundle of rule matching threads, an identification of a rule walking engine initiating the rule matching thread.

13. A processor according to claim 11 , wherein the scoreboard module is further configured to record a count of the number of rule matching threads in the given bundle of rule matching threads.

14. A processor according to claim 11 , wherein in determining a final rule matching result, the scoreboard module is configured to:

maintain an indication of expected priorities associated with rule matching threads in the given bundle; and

determine whether rule matching results are recorded for all rule matching threads associated with the expected priorities.

15. A processor according to claim 11 , wherein the rule matching result is indicative of a match, non-match, or error.

16. A processor according to claim 15 , wherein in determining a final rule matching result, the scoreboard module is configured to:

if the rule matching results recorded, corresponding to the rule matching threads in the given bundle, include at least one rule matching result indicative of a match or error, select from the at least one rule matching result indicative of a match or error the rule matching result with highest priority as the final rule matching result; or

if the rule matching results recorded, corresponding to the rule matching threads in the given bundle, include no rule matching result indicative of a match or error, determine the final rule matching result as indicative of a non-match.

17. A processor according to claim 11 , wherein in determining a final rule matching result, the scoreboard module is configured to determine a final rule matching result prior to recording all rule matching results associated with the rule matching threads in the given bundle.

18. A processor according to claim 11 , wherein the scoreboard module is further configured to clear rule matching results and respective indications of priorities upon generating the response state.

19. A processor according to claim 11 , wherein the scoreboard module is further configured to:

report the final rule matching result determined to a rule walking engine associated with the bundle of rule matching threads;

receive instruction from the rule walking engine to report the response state to the host processor; and

report the response state to the host processor responsive to the received instruction.

20. A processor according to claim 11 , wherein the processor comprises two or more scoreboard modules configured to manage, simultaneously, two or more sets of bundles of rule matching threads.