Address translation

Address translation apparatus comprising:

• translation means for accessing an ordered set of two or more address translation table means stored at respective storage locations and for generating an address translation between an input virtual memory address in a virtual memory address space and a respective translated memory address in a translated memory address space;
• in which:
• each address translation table means in the ordered set of two or more address translation table means is operable to provide translation data indicating mappings between virtual memory addresses and translated memory addresses for a contiguous range of virtual memory addresses applicable to that address translation table means;
• the ordered set of address translation table means are ordered with respect to one another according to an order of their respective ranges of virtual memory addresses for which they provide translation data;
• and
• each address translation table means in the ordered set of two or more address translation table means comprises location information defining the storage location of at least any of the other address translation table means in the ordered set of two or more address translation table means which are adjacent to that address translation table means in the ordered set of two or more address translation table means.

An address translation method comprising:

• ordering a set of two or more address translation tables, stored at respective storage locations and which provide translation data indicating mappings between virtual memory addresses in a virtual memory address space and translated memory addresses in a translated memory address space for a contiguous range of virtual memory addresses applicable to that address translation table, with respect to one another according to an order of their respective ranges of virtual memory addresses for which they provide translation data;
• providing, by each address translation table in the ordered set of two or more address translation tables, location information defining the storage location of at least any of the other address translation tables in the ordered set of two or more address translation tables which are adjacent to that address translation table in the ordered set of two or more address translation tables;
• and
• accessing an address translation table in the ordered set of two or more address translation tables to generate an address translation between an input virtual memory address in the virtual memory address space and a respective translated memory address in the translated memory address space.