Memory manager for heterogeneous memory control

• US 7,571,295 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Brandt, Todd, Wu, Hai Hua, Sakarda, Premanand
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Tuan V
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOE, YONG J
• Application Number:
  US11/196,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 711/170, 711/154, 711/165, 713/100
• US Class Current: 711/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0891 using clearing, invalidating or resetting means

Abstract

Embodiments of a method and system for heterogeneous memory control are disclosed. The embodiments include components of a Memory Manager that receive usage information of a memory subsystem of a host system, the memory subsystem including internal memory and external memory. The Memory Manager also receives client information of one or more clients that are coupled to and/or integrated with the host system. A request or call for internal memory is also received at the Memory Manager from the clients. The Memory manager automatically controls the memory in accordance with one or more of the request, the usage information and the client information. The control includes allocating a portion of the internal memory to the client, remapping one or more areas of internal memory from a first client to a second client, and/or reorganizing the memory by remapping external memory to internal memory. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for managing memory of a system, comprising:

receiving client information of a plurality of clients of the system, the clients being programs that request use of the memory of the system, and the client information including state information indicating an active state or an inactive state of each client;

receiving usage information of the memory indicating information about how memory is allocated to which clients, wherein the memory includes internal memory local to a processor of the system and external memory of the system separate from the internal memory;

receiving a request for internal memory from at least one client; and

automatically controlling the memory in accordance with the request, the usage information and the client information, wherein automatically controlling includes

allocating a portion of the internal memory to the client,

managing the memory of the system for performance, power, and space in accordance with a use case of the system, where the use case includes a function of the system for which the client performs an operation, and

remapping an area of internal memory from a first client to a second client, wherein the remapping is temporary during at least one period of inactivity by the first client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of clients include clients selected from the group consisting of an application and a driver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating comprises allocating at least one available area of internal memory into virtual memory of the client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling further comprises reorganizing the memory by remapping external memory to internal memory.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the reorganizing comprises receiving information of cache misses to the external memory and initiating the reorganizing when the cache misses exceed a pre-specified number.

6. A system comprising:

a memory subsystem coupled to an operating system (OS), the memory subsystem comprising memory that includes internal memory local to a processor of the system and external memory of the system separate from the internal memory;

a memory manager coupled to the memory subsystem, the memory manager configured to receive memory information including usage information of the memory indicating information about how memory is allocated to which clients, client information of at least one client responsive to the OS, the client being a program that requests use of the memory subsystem, where the client information includes state information indicating an active state or an inactive state of the client, and requests for internal memory from the clients, the memory manager automatically controlling the memory subsystem in accordance with the memory information, automatically controlling including allocating areas of the internal memory to requesting clients, managing the memory of the system for performance, power, and space in accordance with a use case of the system, where the use case includes a function of the system for which the client performs an operation, and remapping an area of internal memory from a first client to a second client, wherein the remapping is temporary during at least one period of inactivity by the first client.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the memory manager comprises:

a policy manager (PM) coupled to at least one component selected from the group consisting of the OS and the at least one client;

a memory monitoring unit (MMU) coupled to at least one component selected from the group consisting of the PM, the OS, and the memory subsystem; and

a dynamic allocation unit (DAU) coupled to at least one component selected from the group consisting of the PM, the MMU and the memory subsystem.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of clients include clients selected from the group consisting of an application and a driver.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein allocating comprises allocating at least one available area of internal memory into virtual memory of at least one client generating the requests.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein automatically controlling farther comprises reorganizing the memory by remapping external memory to internal memory in response to a number of cache misses to the external memory exceeding a pre-specified number of cache misses.

11. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which when executed in a processing system manage memory of the system by:

receiving client information of a plurality of clients of the system, the clients being programs that request use of the memory of the system, and the client information including state information indicating an active state or an inactive state of each client;

receiving usage information of the memory indicating information about how memory is allocated to which clients, wherein the memory includes internal memory local to a processor of the system and external memory of the system separate from the internal memory;

receiving a request for internal memory from at least one client; and

automatically controlling the memory in accordance with the request, the usage information and the client information, wherein automatically controlling includes

allocating a portion of the internal memory to the client,

managing the memory of the system for performance, power, and space in accordance with a use case of the system, where the use case includes a function of the system for which the client performs an operation, and

remapping an area of internal memory from a first client to a second client in response to at least one period of inactivity by the first client, wherein the remapping is temporary during the period of inactivity.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein allocating comprises allocating at least one available area of internal memory into virtual memory of at least one client.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein controlling further comprises reorganizing the memory by remapping external memory to internal memory.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the reorganizing comprises receiving information of cache misses to the external memory and initiating the reorganizing when the cache misses exceed a pre-specified number.