Memory controller and related methods for implementing an address-based dynamic page close policy

A memory controller comprising:

• a first tracker, having entries indexed by a hash of system memory addresses for a physical memory region, to track page hits associated with the physical memory region to develop a historical record of page hits to the physical memory region;
• a second tracker, different from the first tracker, having entries indexed by a hash of system memory addresses for the physical memory region, to track page hits to the physical memory region to develop a current record of page hits to the physical memory region;
• and
• a predictor to predict whether to close the page or keep the page open based on a comparison of the historical record of page hits to the physical memory region with the current record of page hits to the physical memory region.

A method for implementing a dynamic page close policy for a physical memory region of a memory system, the method comprising:

• using a first tracker, having entries indexed by a hash of system memory addresses for the physical memory region, tracking page hits associated with the physical memory region to develop a historical record of page hits to the physical memory region;
• using a second tracker, different from the first tracker, having entries indexed by a hash of the system memory addresses for the physical memory region, tracking page hits to the physical memory region to develop a current record of page hits to the physical memory region;
• using a third tracker, different from the first tracker and the second tracker, tracking page hits related to system memory addresses not having an indexed entry into the first tracker;
• setting a threshold equal to a value of the entry in the first tracker if there is an entry in the first tracker having entries indexed by the hash of the system memory addresses for the physical memory region, otherwise setting the threshold equal to a value of the third tracker;
• and
• predicting whether to close the page or keep the page open based on a comparison of the threshold with the current record of page hits to the physical memory region.