System and method for allocating storage in a fragmented storage space
US5802599A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 30, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 1, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 30, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/401
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
This invention provides a one-pass storage process to manage storage space in a storage hierarchy system wherein whole objects or fragments of whole objects can be retrieved efficiently. Metadata to represent appropriate geometric characteristics of storage devices, units of transfer to minimize retrieval time, and buffers, are used to control the storage allocation. A plurality of objects from an object set are aggregated into at least one object grouping for storage where the object grouping is smaller than a minimum storage size. For each object grouping and each object not in an object grouping, a determination is made of the total number of blocks of storage needed and a minimum transfer size. Extents of blocks are identified in the storage device of a size greater than the minimum transfer size totalling the total number of blocks of storage needed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.