Method and system for efficiently saving the operating state of a data processing system

A system for efficiently storing an operating state of a data processing system within a nonvolatile mass storage device, said data processing system having a processor and a volatile system memory, wherein said data processing system addresses a virtual memory address space divided into a plurality of memory pages, and wherein a subset of said plurality of memory pages is stored within said volatile system memory, and wherein volatile data within said data processing system defines said operating state, said system comprising:

• means for determining if storage of said operating state of said data processing system is possible in response to a selected input;
• means, responsive to a determination that storage of said operating state is possible, for halting scheduling of tasks to be performed by said data processing system;
• means for removing data not required for operation of said data processing system from said volatile system memory said means for removing data not required for operation of said data processing system from said volatile memory including:
• means for discarding each memory page within said subset of said plurality of memory pages for which a copy is stored within said nonvolatile mass storage device or which contains no data;
• means for thereafter storing within said nonvolatile mass storage device each memory page within said subset of said plurality of memory pages that contains data not required for operation of said data processing system;
• and
• means for thereafter storing said operating state of said data processing system within nonvolatile mass storage device, wherein said operating state of said data processing system can be efficiently restored.