Method and apparatus for enhancing data storage efficiency
US4989134A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 20, 1987 |
| Grant date | Jan 29, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 20, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99957
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention improves the interaction of a virtual memory systems and a garbage collection system, thereby reducing garbage collection effort and improving virtual memory performance. The method includes the steps of: (1) developing a secondary memory (e.g. disk) dirty page map; (2) developing a saved state map from a primary memory (e.g. RAM) dirty page map; (3) using the secondary memory dirty page map and the primary memory dirty page map to effectively reduce the size of the base set; (4) performing a garbage collection routine on at least a segment of the heap based upon the effectively reduced base set; and (5) performing a virtual memory routine using the primary memory dirty page map and the saved state map. The apparatus of the present invention implements the method on a digital computer system with a combination of hardware and software.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.