Packet classification apparatus and method for classfying packet thereof

PURPOSE: A packet classification apparatus and a packet classification method improve a packet treatment rate by being divided into an address-based content-addressable memory part and a text-based content-addressable memory part. CONSTITUTION: A packet processer (110) provides a search key corresponding to classified packet. The search key distributor (120) decodes the search key and classifies an address-based search key and a text-based search key. An address-based content-addressable memory part conducts an address-based search based on the address-based search key. A text-based content-addressable memory part conducts a text-based search based on the text-based search key. A packet forwarding part (150) conducts corrects the information of a packet or discards the packet according to the predetermined rules. [Reference numerals] (110) Packet processor; (120) Search key distributor; (130) Address-based content-addressable memory part; (140) Text-based content-addressable memory part; (150) Packet forwarding part