Synchronizing direct memory access and evacuation operations in a computer system

In a computer system, a computer-implemented method for synchronizing memory evacuation requests and direct memory access (DMA) requests with respect to a block of physical memory, comprising:

• receiving an evacuation request for evacuating a set of memory pages, said set of memory pages including at least a page of memory in said block of physical memory;
• inhibiting new DMA operations on a range of physical memory, said range of physical memory overlaps with at least a portion of said set of memory pages associated with said evacuation request;
• draining existing DMA requests that pertain to said set memory pages;
• performing said evacuating after said draining is completed;
• and
• enabling said new DMA operations after said performing said evacuating is completed.

An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein, said computer readable code being configured to perform an evacuation request pertaining to a set of memory pages, comprising:

• computer readable code for inhibiting new DMA operations on a range of memory, said range of memory overlaps with at least a first portion of said set of memory pages associated with said evacuation request;
• computer readable code for deferring evacuating said set of memory pages pursuant to said evacuation request until all existing DMA requests that pertain to at least a second portion of said set memory pages are drained;
• computer readable code for performing said evacuating after said draining is completed for said all existing DMA requests;
• and
• computer readable code for enabling said new DMA operations after said performing said evacuating is completed.