A table searching system for facilitating high speed linear searching of a
table of information by a plurality of searching agents is provided. The
system includes: a memory unit for storing a table of information
including a plurality of data entries each having data contents; a
plurality of searching agents each being communicatively coupled with the
memory unit, and having a port for receiving an associated search key
value; and a memory controller unit providing a centralized interface
between the memory unit and each of the agents, the controller unit being
operative to control the memory unit to provide the contents of a current
one of the table entries to each of the agents during each of a plurality
of cycles of operation. Each of the searching agents is operative to
determine an associated best matching one of the data entries based on
comparisons between the associated key value and the contents of the data
entries provided by the memory unit.