Lookaside buffer for address translation in a computer system
US5893931A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 15, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 13, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 15, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F12/1009
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for performing address translation in a computer system supporting virtual memory by searching a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) and, possibly, a translation table held in memory and implemented as a B-tree data structure. The TLB is initially searched for a translation for a specified input address. If exactly one valid entry of the TLB stores a translation for the specified input address then the output address corresponding to the specified input address is determined from the contents of that entry. Otherwise, the translation table is searched for a translation for the specified input address. If two or more valid entries of the TLB store a translation for the specified input address then these entries are invalidated. If a search of the translation table is required then the method involves the retrieval from the translation table, and insertion into the TLB, of a translation for the specified input address and possibly one or more translations for other input addresses that are stored together with the translation for the specified input address in one node of the B-tree implementing the translation table. During the insertion into the TLB of a trans…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.