Method for automatically managing disk fragmentation

• US 7,660,837 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rajakarunanayake, Yasantha Nirmal
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spieler; William
• Application Number:
  US11/543,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/205, 707/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0674 Disk device

Abstract

In the current invention, an apparatus, method, and computer program product for allocating a contiguous area of memory from a repository are provided. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a repository pointer to a contiguous set of data blocks in the repository and a system pointer operable to point to the contiguous set of data blocks are allocated. The value of the repository pointer is subsequently assigned to the system pointer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for storing data files in a contiguous area of a memory, the apparatus comprising:

a memory, comprising;

a contiguous block repository comprising a contiguous set of data blocks allocated specifically to the contiguous block repository;

a contiguous block repository inode associated with the contiguous block repository, the contiguous block repository inode comprising a repository pointer to the contiguous set of data blocks; and

a system pointer; and

a CPU, connected to the memory, for assigning the value of the repository pointer to the system pointer responsive to a repository allocation instruction, wherein the repository pointer is selected from the contiguous block repository inode.

2. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, the contiguous block repository further comprising:

a second contiguous set of data blocks; and

an indirect pointer block comprising a plurality of repository pointers, wherein the plurality of repository pointers address the second contiguous set of data blocks.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, the contiguous block repository inode further comprising:

an indirect pointer to point to the indirect pointer block in the repository.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, the memory further comprising:

a system indirect pointer, wherein the CPU assigns the value of the indirect pointer to the system indirect pointer responsive to a repository allocation instruction.

5. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a fixed recording medium.

6. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the fixed recording medium comprises a hard disk drive.

7. A method for storing data files in a contiguous area of a memory, the method comprising:

accessing a contiguous block repository inode associated with a contiguous block repository comprising a contiguous set of data blocks allocated specifically to the contiguous block repository, the contiguous block repository inode comprising a repository pointer to the contiguous set of data blocks;

defining a system pointer; and

assigning the value of the repository pointer to the system pointer responsive to a repository allocation instruction, wherein the repository pointer is selected from the contiguous block repository inode.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

allocating an indirect pointer block in the repository comprising a plurality of repository pointers, wherein the plurality of repository pointers address a second contiguous set of data blocks.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

allocating an indirect pointer in the contiguous block repository inode to point to the indirect pointer block in the repository.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

defining a system indirect pointer; and

assigning the value of the indirect pointer to the system indirect pointer responsive to a repository allocation instruction.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the memory comprises a fixed recording medium.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the fixed recording medium comprises a hard disk drive.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable storage medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to store data files in a contiguous area of memory, the computer program logic comprising:

accessing means for enabling a processor to access a contiguous block repository inode associated with a contiguous block repository comprising a contiguous set of data blocks allocated specifically to the contiguous block repository, the contiguous block repository inode comprising a repository pointer to the contiguous set of data blocks;

defining means for enabling a processor to define a system pointer; and

assigning means for enabling a processor to assign the value of the repository pointer to the system pointer responsive to a repository allocation instruction, wherein the repository pointer is selected from the contiguous block repository inode.

14. The computer program logic of claim 13, further comprising:

allocating means for enabling a processor to allocate an indirect pointer block in the repository comprising a plurality of repository pointers, wherein the plurality of repository pointers address a second contiguous set of data blocks.

15. The computer program logic of claim 14, further comprising:

allocating means for enabling a processor to allocate an indirect pointer in the contiguous block repository inode to point to the indirect pointer block in the repository.

16. The computer program logic of claim 15, further comprising:

defining means for enabling a processor to define a system indirect pointer; and

assigning means for enabling a processor to assign the value of the indirect pointer to the system indirect pointer responsive to a repository allocation instruction.

17. The computer program logic of claim 13, wherein the memory comprises a fixed recording medium.

18. The computer program logic of claim 17, wherein the fixed recording medium comprises a hard disk drive.