Circuit and method for optimizing creation of a compressed main memory image
US5828877A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 14, 1994 |
| Grant date | Oct 27, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 14, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02D10/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A computer system having a central processing unit ("CPU"), a main memory divisible into allocable units, a secondary storage unit and an operating system for allocating the allocable units to tasks for use thereby is provided with a suspend circuit for creating an optimized compressed image of data in the main memory. In a first embodiment, the suspend circuit comprises: (1) a circuit for initiating execution of a reducing task on the CPU, the reducing task requesting the operating system to allocate unallocated ones of the allocable units to the reducing task, (2) a circuit for storing a bit pattern in the allocable units allocated to the reducing task, the bit pattern chosen to optimize performance of a data compression process and (3) a circuit for executing the data compression process to store a compressed image of the main memory in the secondary storage unit, the bit pattern allowing a size of the compressed image to be reduced and a time required to compress and store the compressed image to be minimized. In a second embodiment, the unallocated allocable units are neither compression-optimized, compressed nor stored. Rather, the reducing task creates a record of all alloca…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.