Faster computer memory access by reducing SLAT fragmentation

A method comprising:

• identifying physical memory of a volatile memory by traversing hierarchical levels of an address table;
• and
• allocating a memory slab for a memory access directed to virtual memory corresponding to the physical memory, the memory slab comprising memory ranges including memory addresses that each have a same set of access permissions and the memory slab being coextensive with at least one of:
• a first memory range sized to encompass ranges of memory at a first hierarchical level of the address table;
• or
• a second memory range sized to encompass ranges of memory at a second hierarchical level of the address table that is higher in the hierarchical levels than the first hierarchical level.

A system comprising:

• a processing unit;
• volatile memory storing instructions that, when executed, perform operations comprising:
• in response to a request to perform a memory access directed to virtual memory corresponding to physical memory of the volatile memory, identifying the physical memory by traversing hierarchical levels of an address table;
• and
• allocating a memory slab for the memory access, the memory slab comprising memory ranges including memory addresses that each have a same set of access permissions and the memory slab being coextensive with at least one of:
• a first memory range sized to encompass ranges of memory at a first hierarchical level of the address table;
• or
• a second memory range sized to encompass ranges of memory at a second hierarchical level of the address table that is at least one hierarchical level above the first hierarchical level.