US 6,286,088 B1Granted

Memory management system and method for relocating memory

AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company

InventorsRussell Campbell, David L. Lanning, Timothy P. Blair

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A memory management system usable with a client is provided. The memory defines a memory space including at least one memory buffer, and the memory buffer is defined by a set of attributes including base address and size. The memory includes a fixed-simple memory allocation, having a link, and one of a relocatable simple memory allocation coupled with the link, a head of a complex memory allocation comprising multiple simple memory allocations, or a null simple memory allocation. A memory manager is coupled with the memory and is configured to manage specific instances of memory allocation usable by a client. A memory management interface is coupled with the memory manager and is configurable to enable a client to specify a request for a relocatable memory object. Processing circuitry is coupled with the memory and the memory management interface and is operative to detect a low memory condition. The memory manager is operative to relocate the memory object from one physical location in memory to another physical location in memory to generate a sufficiently large contiguous free memory block for the client so as to overcome the low memory condition. A method is also provided.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A memory management system usable with a client, comprising:

memory defining a memory space including at least one memory buffer, the memory buffer defined by a set of attributes including base address and size, the memory including a fixed-simple memory allocation, having a link, and one of:
a. a relocatable simple memory allocation coupled with the link,
b. a head of a complex memory allocation comprising multiple simple memory allocations, or
c. a null simple memory allocation;
a memory manager coupled with the memory and configured to manage specific instances of memory allocation usable by a client by implementing a generalized double indirection memory relocation model of datatypes;
a memory management interface coupled with the memory manager and configurable to enable a client to specify a request for a relocatable memory object;
processing circuitry coupled with the memory and the memory management interface and operative to detect a low memory condition;
wherein the memory manager is operative to relocate the memory object from the one physical location in memory to another physical location in memory in generate a sufficiently large contiguous free memory block for the client so as to overcome the low memory condition;
wherein the memory manager allocates a relocatable memory object via the double indirection memory relocation model comprising relocatable data-types as a four-tuple (x, y, z, f), such that:
x gives the size of a header-structure that describes a data-section;
y gives an offset to a data-pointer element of the header-structure;
z gives an offset from a base of the data-section that the datapointer must address;
and f gives an entry point for moving the one of the relocatable simple-allocation, the head of the complex memory allocation, and the null simple memory allocation.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.