Dispatching and scheduling memory operations in an electronic printing

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method for scheduling transfers in a printing machine of the type having a scheduler communicating with both a first disk and a second disk, the first and second disks having a combined bandwidth. The method for scheduling comprises the following steps: First, a first transfer to be performed on a first location of the first disk during a first time interval and a second transfer to be performed on a second location of the first disk during a second time interval are both scheduled, with the scheduler, so that a first time gap interval exists between the first time interval and the second time interval. Second, a third transfer to be performed on a first location of the second disk during a third time interval and a fourth transfer to be performed on a second location of the second disk during a fourth time interval are both scheduled, with the scheduler, so that a second time gap interval exists between the third time interval and the fourth time interval. Finally, a fifth transfer to be performed during a fifth interval is scheduled, with the scheduler, so that the fifth interval occurs during either the first time gap interval or the second time gap interval in a manner that maximizes the combined bandwidth of the first and second disks.