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Utilization of memory storage

  • US 7,765,378 B1
  • Filed: 12/09/2002
  • Issued: 07/27/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of utilizing storage, the method comprising:

  • allocating, via a computer system, a portion of the storage for storage of data information;

    subsequent to receiving the data information for storage, recursively partitioning storage segments of the allocated portion of the storage on an as-needed basis into successively smaller groups of storage segments that vary in size to accommodate storage of corresponding smaller fragments of related data information;

    allocating at least part of the storage to store meta data information associated with the storage segments; and

    maintaining the meta data in the storage to track a logical stream of fragmented data information;

    wherein recursively partitioning the storage segments includes;

    receiving an amount of data information to be stored in a volume;

    partitioning the volume to include a group of storage segments including a first storage segment and a second storage segment, the first storage segment defined by a first range of contiguous physical addresses, the second storage segment defined by a second range of contiguous physical addresses;

    storing a first sized portion of the data information in the first storage segment;

    in response to detecting that a second sized portion of the data information to be stored in the volume is smaller than a storage capacity of the second storage segment, subdividing the second storage segment into multiple sub-segments including at least a first storage sub-segment and a second storage sub-segment;

    wherein subdividing the second storage segment into multiple sub-segments includes subdividing the second range of contiguous physical addresses into a first sub-range of contiguous physical addresses and a second sub-range of contiguous physical addresses, the first sub-range of contiguous physical addresses defining the first storage sub-segment of the second storage segment, the second sub-range of contiguous physical addresses defining the second storage sub-segment of the second storage segment; and

    in response to detecting that the second sized portion of the data information to be stored in the volume is larger than a storage capacity of the first storage sub-segment;

    selecting a sub-portion of the second sized portion of the data information, the selected sub-portion equal in size to the storage capacity of the first storage sub-segment, andstoring the selected sub-portion into the first storage sub-segment.

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