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US 7,613,870 B2Granted
Efficient memory usage in systems including volatile and high-density memories
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsGerald K. Bartley, John M. Borkenhagen, William H. Cochran, William P. Hovis, Paul W. Rudrud
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Abstract
A first method for efficient memory usage includes (1) determining whether data retrieved from a first storage device is characterized as data that is primarily read; and (2) if data retrieved from the first storage device is characterized as data that is primarily read (a) writing the retrieved data in a temporary storage device with short write latency; and (b) writing the retrieved data in a high-density memory. Numerous other aspects are provided.
Claims22
A method for efficient memory usage, comprising:
- determining whether data retrieved from a first storage device is characterized as data that is primarily read, wherein determining whether data retrieved from the first storage device is characterized as data that is primarily read includes:
- monitoring for at least one of a processor access pattern to a memory, an attribute associated with a command and a memory address of the command;
- and
- identifying data retrieved from the first storage device as characterized as data that is primarily read based on the monitoring;
- if data retrieved from the first storage device is characterized as data that is primarily read:
- writing the retrieved data in a temporary storage device with short write latency;
- and
- writing the retrieved data in a high-density memory;
- receiving a request to write data to a memory address in the high-density memory;
- allocating one or more memory addresses of the temporary storage device equal to a minimum block size that may be written to the high-density memory;
- writing the data to a memory address in the one or more allocated memory addresses;
- reading data from memory addresses, which will remain unmodified, included in the block of the high-density memory to which data is to be written;
- storing data read from the unmodified memory addresses included in the block of the high-density memory to which data is to be written in the one or more allocated memory addresses of the temporary storage device;
- and
- writing data stored in the one or more allocated memory addresses of the temporary storage device to the high-density memory.
12 more elements
An apparatus for efficient memory usage, comprising:
- a high-density memory;
- a volatile memory;
- a first storage device;
- a temporary storage device with short write latency;
- and
- a monitoring device, coupled to the high-density memory, volatile memory, first storage device, temporary storage device, and adapted to identify data which is characterized as primarily read;
- wherein the apparatus is adapted to:
- determine whether data retrieved from the first storage device is characterized as data that is primarily read;
- and
- if data retrieved from the first storage device is characterized as data that is primarily read:
- write the retrieved data in the temporary storage device;
- and
- write the retrieved data in the high-density memory,
- wherein the apparatus is further adapted to:
- monitor for at least one of a processor access pattern to a memory, an attribute associated with a command and a memory address of the command;
- identify data retrieved from the first storage device as characterized as data that is primarily read based on the monitoring;
- receive a request to write data to a memory address in the high-density memory;
- allocate one or more memory addresses of the temporary storage device equal to a minimum block size that may be written to the high-density memory;
- write the data to a memory address in the one or more allocated memory addresses;
- read data from memory addresses, which will remain unmodified, included in the block of the high-density memory to which data is to be written;
- store data read from the unmodified memory addresses included in the block of the high-density memory to which data is to be written in the one or more allocated memory addresses of the temporary storage device;
- and
- write data stored in the one or more allocated memory addresses of the temporary storage device to the high-density memory.
20 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.