Virtual memory management for a microkernel system with multiple operating systems
First Claim
1. In a data processing system a memory management apparatus, comprising:
- an auxiliary data source means in the data processing system, for storing data in original format;
a bus means coupled to said auxiliary data source means;
a memory means in the data processing system coupled to said auxiliary data source device over said bus means, for storing data structures and program instructions;
a processor means coupled to the memory means and to the auxiliary data source device over the bus means, for executing said program instructions stored in said memory means;
a personality server in said memory means, coupled to said auxiliary data source means, for using a unique operating system personality accessing method to access said data in said auxiliary data source means having said original format, and loading it into said memory means;
a personality neutral pager means in said memory, coupled to said personality server, for reformatting said data into a backing storage format, for operating system personality neutral backing storage in said memory means;
said personality neutral pager means forming said backing storage format for data in said memory by organizing said data into pages contained in frames, said frames being contained in paging spaces in said memory means;
said original format for data in said auxiliary data source means including data units of contiguous data;
said personality neutral pager means organizing said data units of contiguous data into a single frame of said pages.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A personality operating system neutral pager manages the backing store of a microkernel data processing system, by interacting with any one of a variety of personality servers that provide a unique personality interface to a source of data for the system. By partitioning the backing storage management functions performed by the personality neutral pager from those personality unique functions performed by the personality servers, backing space can be flexibly managed in the memory of the microkernel system, independent of the eccentricities in the formats and interfaces imposed by diverse data sources such as magnetic disk drives, optical storage devices, distributed data processing networks, and telecommunications networks.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. In a data processing system a memory management apparatus, comprising:
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an auxiliary data source means in the data processing system, for storing data in original format; a bus means coupled to said auxiliary data source means; a memory means in the data processing system coupled to said auxiliary data source device over said bus means, for storing data structures and program instructions; a processor means coupled to the memory means and to the auxiliary data source device over the bus means, for executing said program instructions stored in said memory means; a personality server in said memory means, coupled to said auxiliary data source means, for using a unique operating system personality accessing method to access said data in said auxiliary data source means having said original format, and loading it into said memory means; a personality neutral pager means in said memory, coupled to said personality server, for reformatting said data into a backing storage format, for operating system personality neutral backing storage in said memory means; said personality neutral pager means forming said backing storage format for data in said memory by organizing said data into pages contained in frames, said frames being contained in paging spaces in said memory means; said original format for data in said auxiliary data source means including data units of contiguous data; said personality neutral pager means organizing said data units of contiguous data into a single frame of said pages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a data processing system including an auxiliary data source means for storing data in an original format, a memory means for storing data structures, a memory management method, comprising:
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using a unique operating system personality accessing method to access data in said auxiliary data source means having said original format and load it into said memory means; forming a backing storage format for data in said memory with an operating system personality neutral pager means by organizing said data into pages contained in frames, said frames being contained in paging spaces in said memory means; said original format for data in said auxiliary data source means including data units of contiguous data; organizing said data units of contiguous data into a single frame of said pages with said personality neutral pager means; said personality neutral pager means receiving requests for pages of data from a processor means; maintaining a threshold value for a minimum number of free pages desired to remain in said frames, that have not been requested by said processor means, with said personality neutral pager means; sending notification messages from said personality neutral pager means to said personality server requesting additional data in said original format from said auxiliary data source means, when said number of free pages is greater than said threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. An article of manufacture for use in a data processing system including an auxiliary data source means for storing data in an original format and a memory means for storing data structures, comprising:
a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for providing a memory management method, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to access data using a unique operating system personality accessing method, said data accessed from said auxiliary data source means having said original format and load it into said memory means; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to form a backing storage format for data in said memory with an operating system personality neutral pager means by organizing said data into pages contained in frames, said frames being contained in paging spaces in said memory means; said original format for data in said auxiliary data source means including data units of contiguous data; computer readable program code means for causing the computer to organize said data units of contiguous data into a single frame of said pages with said personality neutral pager means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
Specification