MEMORY SHARING SYSTEM

• US 20080222366A1
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: HIEDA, SATOSHI
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/148
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1036 for multiple virtual address spaces, e.g. segmentation G06F12/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45583 Memory management, e.g. access or allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/656 Address space sharing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory

Abstract

A memory-use-information memory area stores therein a program ID, a request-source memory address, a request memory size which configure information for uniquely identifying a program file loaded into a storage area for virtual machine-A or storage area for virtual machine-B in association with a physical memory address. A memory reservation section uses, as the retrieval key, the program ID, request-source memory address, and request memory size of a program file corresponding to a memory reservation request to retrieval the memory-use-information memory area. When a entry that matches said retrieval key exists, the memory reservation section allows sharing of the memory area between a plurality of virtual machines.

Claims

1. A memory sharing system comprising:

a plurality of computers;

a memory including a plurality of memory areas assigned to respective said computers, said memory areas each being capable of loading thereon a program for operating a corresponding one of said computers;

a memory-use-information memory area that stores therein association of a program ID of a loaded program with one of said memory areas loading said loaded program;

a memory-use-information retrieval section that judges, upon issuing of a memory reservation request identifying a specific program from one of said computers, whether or not a specific program ID specifying said specific program is stored in said memory-use-information memory area; and

a memory reservation section that allows, if said memory-use-information retrieval section judges existence of said specific program ID in said memory-use-information memory area, one of said memory areas loading thereon said specific program to be shared with said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request.

2. The memory sharing system according to claim 1, further comprising a memory-use-information write section, wherein:

if said memory-use-information retrieval section judges absence of said specific program ID in said memory-use-information memory area, said memory reservation section loads said specific program into another of said memory areas assigned to said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request, and allows said memory-use-information write section to store said specific program ID in said memory-use-information memory area.

3. The memory sharing system according to claim 2, wherein:

said memory-use-information write section associates said specific program ID, a request-source memory address representing an address of a specific position in said specific program to be loaded, and a request memory size representing a memory size of said specific program with a head memory address in said another of said memory areas, for storing said associated information in said memory-use-information memory area.

4. The memory sharing system according to claim 3, wherein:

said memory reservation request includes a request-source memory address and a request memory size, and said memory-use-information retrieval section uses, as a retrieval key, said specific program ID of said specific program, said request-source memory address and said request memory size included in said memory reservation request to retrieval said memory-use-information memory area so as to judge whether or not an entry that matches said retrieval key exists in said memory-use-information memory area.

5. The memory sharing system according to claim 4, wherein:

if said memory-use-information retrieval section judges that an entry matching said retrieval key exists, said memory reservation section reserves a portion of said one of said memory areas corresponding to said request memory size starting from said head memory address stored in said entry that matches said retrieval key, and performs a sharing processing so as to allow said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request to refer to said shared one of said memory areas.

6. The memory sharing system according to claim 3, wherein said one of said computers comprises a program execution section that acquires, if said one of said computers executes a program to find a necessity to load a specific program into a corresponding one of said memory areas, a request-source memory address and a request memory size to issue said memory reservation request.

7. The memory sharing system according to claim 1, further comprising an attribute information acquisition section for acquiring attribute information of said specific program to be loaded, and a program-ID generation section for generating said program ID based on said attribute information.

8. The memory sharing system according to claim 7, wherein:

said attribute information acquisition section identifies a program file based on program-file identification information including an identifier assigned for uniquely identifying a program file of the program in said one of said computers and acquires said attribute information of said program file.

9. The memory sharing system according to claim 8, further comprising a program-ID retrieval section for referring to a program-ID memory area that stores therein said identifier of said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request, program-file identification information, and program ID in association with each other, to determine whether or not a program ID corresponding to said program file identified by said attribute information acquisition section is stored in said program-ID memory area, wherein:

if said program-ID retrieval section determines that a program ID corresponding to said program file identified by said attribute information acquisition section is stored, said program-ID generation section acquires said program ID stored in said program-ID memory area instead of generating a program ID.

10. The memory sharing system according to claim 9, wherein:

if said program-ID retrieval section determines that a program ID corresponding to said program file identified by said attribute information acquisition section is not stored, said program-ID generation section allows said program-ID write section to store said program ID generated based on said attribute information in said program-ID memory area in association with said identifier of said one of said computers and said program-file identification information.

11. The memory sharing system according to claim 1, wherein:

said computers include a plurality of virtual machines running on a real computer, and

said memory reservation section allows one of said memory areas reserved for one of said virtual machines, into which said specific program has been loaded, to be shared between at least two of said plurality of virtual machines.

12. The memory sharing system according to claim 1, wherein:

said computers include a real computer and a virtual machine running on said real computer, and

said memory reservation section allows one of said memory areas reserved for said real computer or virtual machine, into which said specific program has been loaded, to be shared between said real computer and at least one of said virtual machines.

13. A memory sharing method for sharing a memory area between a plurality of computers, said memory including a plurality of memory areas assigned to respective said computers, said memory areas each being capable of loading thereon a program for operating a corresponding one of said computers, said method comprising:

judging, upon issuing of a memory reservation request identifying a specific program from one of said computers, whether or not a specific program ID specifying said specific program is stored in a memory-use-information memory area, which stores therein association of a program ID of a loaded program with one of said memory areas loading thereon said loaded program; and

allowing, if said judging judges existence of said specific program ID in said memory-use-information memory area, one of said memory areas loading thereon said specific program to be shared with said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request.

14. The memory sharing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

loading, if said memory-use-information retrieval section judges absence of said specific program ID in said memory-use-information memory area, said specific program into another of said memory areas assigned to said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request; and

storing said specific program ID in said memory-use-information memory area.

15. The memory sharing method according to claim 14, further comprising:

associating said specific program ID, a request-source memory address representing an address of a specific position in said specific program to be loaded, and a request memory size representing a memory size of said specific program with a head memory address in said another of said memory areas to create associated information, to store said associated information in said memory-use-information memory area.

16. The memory sharing method according to claim 15, wherein:

said memory reservation request includes a request-source memory address and a request memory size, and said memory-use-information retrieving uses, as a retrieval key, said specific program ID of said specific program, said request-source memory address and said request memory size included in said memory reservation request to retrieval said memory-use-information memory area so as to judge whether or not an entry that matches said retrieval key exists in said memory-use-information memory area.

17. The memory sharing method according to claim 16, wherein:

if said memory-use-information retrieving judges that an entry matching said retrieval key exists, said allowing renders said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request to refer to a portion of said memory areas corresponding to said request memory size starting from said head memory address stored in said entry that matches said retrieval key.

18. The memory sharing method according to claim 13, further comprising acquiring attribute information of said specific program to be loaded, to generate said program ID based on said attribute information.

19. The memory sharing method according to claim 18, wherein:

said attribute information acquiring identifies a program file based on program-file identification information that includes an identifier assigned for uniquely identifying a program file of any program in said computers and acquires said attribute information of said program file of said specific program.

20. The memory sharing method according to claim 19, further comprising referring to a program-ID memory area that stores therein said identifier of said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request, and program-file identification information and program ID of said specific program in association with each other, to determine whether or not a program ID corresponding to said program file identified by said attribute information acquisition section is stored in said program-ID memory area, wherein:

if said referring to said program-ID retrieval section determines that a program ID corresponding to said program file identified by said attribute information acquisition section is stored, a program ID stored in said program-ID memory area is acquired instead of generating said program ID.

21. The memory sharing method according to claim 20, wherein:

if said referring to said program-ID retrieval section determines that a program ID corresponding to said program file identified by said attribute information acquisition section is not stored, a program ID is generated based on said attribute information and stored in said program-ID memory area in association with said identifier of said one of said computers and said program-file identification information.

22. The memory sharing method according to claim 13, wherein:

said computers include a plurality of virtual machines running on a real computer, and

said real computer allows one of said memory areas reserved for one of said virtual machines, into which said specific program has been loaded, to be shared between at least two of said plurality of virtual machines.

23. The memory sharing system according to claim 13, wherein:

said computers include a real computer and a virtual machine running on said real computer, and

said real computer allows one of said memory areas reserved for said real computer or virtual machine, into which said specific program has been loaded, to be shared between said real computer and at least one of said virtual machines.

24. A computer readable medium encoded with a sharing program running on a CPU for executing sharing of a program loaded into a memory among a plurality of computers, said memory including a plurality of memory areas assigned to respective said computers, said memory areas each being capable of loading thereon a program for operating a corresponding one of said computers, said program being capable of causing said CPU to:

judge, upon issuing of a memory reservation request identifying a specific program from one of said computers, whether or not a specific program ID specifying said specific program is stored in a memory-use-information storage, which stores therein association of a program ID of a loaded program with one of said memory areas loading said loaded program; and

allow, if it is judged that said specific program ID is stored in said memory-use-information memory area, one of said memory areas loading thereon said specific program to be shared with said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request.

25. The computer readable medium according to claim 24, wherein said program being capable of causing said CPU to:

load, if it is judged that said specific program ID is not stored in said memory-use-information memory area, said specific program into another of said memory areas assigned to said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request; and

store said specific program ID in said memory-use-information memory area.

26. The computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein said program being capable of causing said CPU to:

associate said specific program ID, a request-source memory address representing an address of a specific position in said specific program to be loaded, and a request memory size representing a memory size of said specific program with a head memory address in said another memory area to create associated information, to store said associated information in said memory-use-information memory area.

27. The computer readable medium according to claim 26, wherein:

said memory reservation request includes a request-source memory address and a request memory size, and said memory-use-information retrieving uses, as a retrieval key, said specific program ID of said specific program, said request-source memory address and said request memory size included in said memory reservation request to retrieval said memory-use-information memory area so as to judge whether or not an entry that matches said retrieval key exists in said memory-use-information memory area.

28. The computer readable medium according to claim 27, wherein:

if it is judged that an entry that matches said retrieval key exists, said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request is allowed to refer to a portion of said memory areas corresponding to said request memory size starting from said head memory address stored in said entry that matches said retrieval key.

29. The computer readable medium according to claim 24, wherein said program being capable of causing said CPU to:

acquire attribute information of said specific program to be loaded, to generate said program ID based on said attribute information.

30. The computer readable medium according to claim 29, wherein:

said acquirement of attribute information identifies a program file based on program-file identification information that includes an identifier assigned for uniquely identifying a program file of any program in said computers and acquires said attribute information of said program file of said specific program.

31. The computer readable medium according to claim 30, said program being capable of causing said CPU to:

refer to a program-ID memory area that stores therein said identifier of said one of said computers that has issued said memory reservation request, program-file identification information, and program ID in association with each other, to determine whether or not a program ID corresponding to said program file identified by said attribute information acquisition is stored in said program-ID memory area, wherein;

if it is determined that a program ID corresponding to said program file identified by said attribute information acquisition is stored, a program ID stored in said program-ID memory area is acquired instead of generating said program ID.

32. The computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein:

if it is determined that a program ID corresponding to said program file identified by said attribute information acquisition is not stored, a program ID is generated based on said attribute information and stored in said program-ID memory area in association with said identifier of said one of said computers and said program-file identification information.

33. The computer readable medium according to claim 24, wherein:

said computers include a plurality of virtual machines running on a real computer configuring said CPU, and

said real computer allows one of said memory areas reserved for one of said virtual machines, into which said specific program has been loaded, to be shared between at least two of said plurality of virtual machines.

34. The computer readable medium according to claim 24, wherein:

said computers include a real computer configuring said CPU and a virtual machine running on said CPU, and

said CPU allows one of said memory areas reserved for said real computer or virtual machine, into which said specific program has been loaded, to be shared between said real computer and at least one of said virtual machines.