Network address forwarding table lookup apparatus and method

1. A network address forwarding table lookup apparatus for identifying a 32-bit network address to determine a next-hop address to which data packets having the network address are forwarded, the apparatus comprising:

a memory storing a five-level compression-tree forwarding table, the forwarding table having a first level module, a second level module, a third level module, a fourth level module, and a fifth level module;

the first level module comprising a first compression bitmap having two first level index entries directly addressable by the 17 th address bit from the network address of the data packets, and a first level pointer to the second level module, wherein each of the first level index entries alternatively comprises an independent index or a dependent index;

the second level module comprising second level primary entries directly addressable by the first level pointer and the first level index entries comprising the independent index, each of the second level primary entries alternatively comprising a next hop index indicating the next hop address for the data packets if the first to the 17 th address bits of the network address are sufficient to determine the next hop index, or a second level submodule if the first to the 17 th address bits of the network address are not sufficient to determine the next hop address, wherein the second level submodule comprises a second compression bitmap having 128 second level index entries associatively addressable by the 18 th to the 24 th address bits from the network address of the data packets, and a second level pointer to the third level module, wherein each of the second level index entries alternatively comprises the independent index or the dependent index;

the third level module comprising third level primary entries directly addressable by the second level pointer and the second level index entries comprising the independent index, each of the third level primary entries alternatively comprising a next hop index indicating the next-hop address for the data packets if the first to the 24 th address bits of the network address are sufficient to determine the next hop index, or a third level submodule if the first to the 24 th address bits of the network address are not sufficient to determine the next-hop address, wherein the third level submodule comprises a third compression bitmap having two third level index entries associatively addressable by the 25 th address bit from the network address of the data packets, and a third level pointer to the fourth level module, wherein each of the third level index entries alternatively comprises the independent index or the dependent index;

the fourth level module comprising fourth level primary entries directly addressable by the third level pointer and the third level index entries comprising the independent index, each of the fourth level primary entries alternatively comprising a next hop index indicating the next-hop address for the data packets if the first to the 25 th address bits of the network address are sufficient to determine the next hop index, or a fourth level submodule if the first to the 25 th address bits of the network address are not sufficient to determine the next hop address, wherein the fourth level submodule comprises a fourth compression bitmap having 128 fourth level index entries associatively addressable by the 26 th to the 32 nd address bits from the network address of the data packets, and a fourth level pointer to the fifth level module, wherein each of the fourth level index entries alternatively comprises the independent index or the dependent index; and

the fifth level module comprising fifth level primary entries directly addressable by the fourth level pointer and the fourth level index entries comprising the independent index, each of the fifth level primary entries comprising a next hop index indicating the next hop address for the data packets;

wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth level index entries comprising the independent index directly corresponds to one of the next level primary entry in sequence, and each of the first, second, third and fourth level index entries comprising the dependent index associatively corresponds to the next level primary entry to which the previous same level index entry comprising the independent index directly corresponds.

2. The network address forwarding table lookup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the network address comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

3. The network address forwarding table lookup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the independent index is a bit ‘1’, and the dependent index is a bit ‘0 ’.