US 10,310,997 B2 · System and method for dynamically allocating memory to hold pending write requests

Abstract

A processing system employs a memory module as a temporary write buffer to store write requests when a write buffer at a memory controller reaches a threshold capacity, and de-allocates the temporary write buffer when the write buffer capacity falls below the threshold. Upon receiving a write request, the memory controller stores the write request in a write buffer until the write request can be written to main memory. The memory controller can temporarily extend the memory controller's write buffer to the memory module, thereby accommodating temporary periods of high memory activity without requiring a large permanent write buffer at the memory controller.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

receiving a first memory access request to write data to a first memory;
storing the first memory access request in a write buffer;
in response to the write buffer associated with the first memory storing a threshold number of write requests, allocating by a memory controller a portion of a second memory to store additional write requests, the second memory different from the first memory, the second memory configured to store data responsive to a write request;
and
in response to a number of write requests stored in the write buffer falling below the threshold number of write requests, de-allocating by the memory controller the portion of the second memory.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for dynamically allocating memory to hold pending write requests

Life of this patent

System and method for dynamically allocating memory to hold pending write requests

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19