PEER-TO-PEER TRANSCENDENT MEMORY

• US 20120222052A1
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Magenheimer, Daniel, Hackel, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/023 Free address space management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0284 Multiple user address space allocation, e.g. using different base addresses interprocessor communication G06F15/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/167 using a common memory, e.g. mailbox
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/261 Storage comprising a plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Various arrangements for utilizing memory of a remote computer system are presented. Two computer systems may allocate a portion of RAM accessible to a memory-access API. A first set of data from the first portion of the first memory of a first computer system may be determined to be moved to memory of another computer system. The first set of data from the first portion of the first memory may be transmitted for storage in the second portion of the second memory of a second computer system. Using the second memory-access API, the set of data may be stored in the second portion of the second memory. Using the first memory-access API, the set of data from the first portion of the first memory may be deleted.

Claims

1. A method for a first computer system to utilize storage of a second computer system, the method comprising:

allocating, by the first computer system, a first portion of a first memory of the first computer system for use by a first memory-access application programming interface (API);

allocating, by the second computer system, a second portion of a second memory of the second computer system for use by a second memory-access API;

determining, by the first computer system, to move a set of data from the first portion of the first memory of the first computer system to memory of another computer system;

transferring, by the first computer system, to the second computer system, the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory for storage in the second portion of the second memory of the second computer system; and

storing, by the second computer system, using the second memory-access API, the set of data in the second portion of the second memory.

2. The method for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 1, wherein:

data stored in the first portion of the first memory and the second portion of the second memory are stored in fixed-size memory pages; and

transferring, by the first computer system, to the second computer system, the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory to the second portion of the second memory of the second computer system comprises transferring a minimum of one memory page.

3. The method for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first computer system, to the second computer system, a request for the set of data;

retrieving, by the second computer system, the set of data using the second API; and

transmitting, by the second computer system, the set of data to the first computer system.

4. The method for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first computer system, to each computer system of a plurality of computer systems, a request for available memory resources, wherein the plurality of computer systems comprises the second computer system; and

receiving, by the first computer system, from each computer system of the plurality of computer systems, a response indicating an availability of memory resources at the corresponding computer system of the plurality of computer systems.

5. The method for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

allocating, by the second computer system, a superpage of the second portion of the second memory to the first computer system, wherein;

the superpage comprises a plurality of pages;

a size of the superpage is predetermined; and

the first computer system is permitted access to the superpage.

6. The method for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 5, wherein determining to move the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory of the first computer system to memory of another computer system comprises:

identifying, by the first computer system, the second computer system having sufficient available memory resources in the second portion of the second memory to store the set of data.

7. The method for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 1, wherein determining, by the first computer system, to move the set of data from the memory of the first computer system to memory of another computer system further comprises:

determining that storing the set of data in memory of another computer system will result in a faster access time to the set of data than storing the set of data on a computer-readable disk.

8. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory processor-readable medium and comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause a processor to:

allocate a first portion of a first memory of a first computer system for use by a first memory-access application programming interface (API);

determine to move a set of data from the first portion of the first memory of the first computer system to memory of another computer system;

cause a transfer to a second computer system of the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory for storage in a second portion of a second memory of the second computer system; and

cause, using the first memory-access API, the set of data from the first portion of the first memory to be deleted.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein:

data stored in the first portion of the first memory are stored in fixed-size memory pages; and

the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the transfer to the second computer system of the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory require a minimum transfer of one memory page.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the processor-readable instructions further comprise additional processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to:

cause a request to be transferred to the second computer system for the set of data; and

cause the set of data to be received from the second computer system.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the processor-readable instructions further comprise additional processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to:

cause a request for available memory resources to be transferred to each computer system of a plurality of computer systems, wherein the plurality of computer systems comprises the second computer system; and

cause a response indicating an availability of memory resources at each computer system of the plurality of computer systems to be received.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to determine to move the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory of the first computer system to memory of another computer system further comprise additional processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to:

identify the second computer system as having sufficient available memory resources in the second portion of the second memory to store the set of data.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to determine to move the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory of the first computer system to memory of another computer system further comprise additional processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to:

determine that storing the set of data in memory of another computer system will result in a faster access time to the set of data than storing the set of data on a computer-readable disk.

14. A memory access system for a first computer system to utilize storage of a second computer system, the memory access system comprising:

the first computer system, comprising;

a first processor; and

a first memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the first processor and having stored therein a first series of processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to;

allocate a first portion of the first memory for use by a first memory-access application programming interface (API);

determine to move a set of data from the first portion of the first memory to memory of another computer system;

cause the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory to be transferred for storage to the second computer system; and

cause, using the first memory-access API, the set of data from the first portion of the first memory to be deleted; and

the second computer system, comprising;

a second processor; and

a second memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the second processor and having stored therein a second series of processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to;

allocate a second portion of the second memory of the second computer system for use by a second memory-access API; and

cause the set of data in the second portion of the second memory to be stored using the second memory-access API.

15. The memory access system for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 14, wherein:

data stored in the first portion of the first memory and the second portion of the second memory are stored in fixed-size memory pages; and

the first series of processor-readable instructions that cause the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory to be transferred to the second portion of the second memory of the second computer system require a transfer of a minimum of one memory page.

16. The memory access system for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 14, wherein:

the first series of processor-readable instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to cause a request for the set of data to be transferred to the second computer system; and

the second series of processor-readable instructions further comprise additional processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to;

cause the set of data to be retrieved using the second API; and

cause the set of data to be transmitted to the first computer system.

17. The memory access system for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 14, wherein:

the first series of processor-readable instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to;

cause a request for available memory resources to be transmitted to each computer system of a plurality of computer systems, wherein the plurality of computer systems comprises the second computer system; and

cause a response indicating an availability of memory resources to be received from each computer system of the plurality of computer systems.

18. The memory access system for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 14, wherein:

the second series of processor-readable instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to;

allocate a superpage of the second portion of the second memory to the first computer system, wherein;

the superpage comprises space for a plurality of memory pages;

a size of the superpage is predetermined; and

the first computer system is permitted access to the superpage.

19. The memory access system for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 18, wherein the first series of processor-readable instructions configured to cause the first processor to determine to move the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory of the first computer system to memory of another computer system further comprise additional processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to:

identify the second computer system as having sufficient available memory resources in the second portion of the second memory to store the set of data.

20. The memory access system for the first computer system to utilize the storage of the second computer system of claim 14, wherein the first series of processor-readable instructions configured to cause the first processor to determine to move the first set of data from the first portion of the first memory of the first computer system to memory of another computer system further comprise additional processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to:

determine that storing the set of data in memory of another computer system will result in a faster access time to the set of data than storing the set of data on a computer-readable disk.