US Patent 10587516 Hash lookup table entry management in a network device

In a method for managing a network device a current hash value is determined for a current key to be inserted into a lookup table. The current hash value associated with a current set of memory locations in the lookup table, wherein the current set of memory locations includes a memory location corresponding to the current hash value and one or more other memory locations. In response to determining that each memory location in the current set of memory location is occupied, one or multiple previously stored keys in the lookup table are iteratively moved to other memory locations in the lookup table to free up a memory location in the current set of memory locations, the current key is inserted into the freed up memory location.