The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 12, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 22, 1996
Karen Lee Noel, Pembroke, NH (US);
Michael Seward Harvey, Hollis, NH (US);
Thomas Robert Benson, Hollis, NH (US);
Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, MA (US);
Abstract
A new system and method for outswapping a process is disclosed. The new system forms one or more working set list chains (also referred to as 'page table chains') during the outswap process. The new system then conveniently locates and outswaps a number of page table pages of the process to be outswapped by traversing the working set list chains. In a preferred embodiment, the forming of each working set list chain is performed while traversing a working set list during outswapping of a number of body pages of a process. Each working set list entry potentially describes a page of virtual memory in use by the process to be outswapped. In a further aspect of the disclosed system, traversing the working set list of the process to be outswapped includes determining whether each one of the working set list entries indicates a private page table page. If an entry in the working set list indicates a private page table page, the present system adds a link to a working set list chain. In the disclosed system, a working set list entry is determined to indicate a private page table page if the page of virtual memory described by the working set list entry is within a page table structure associated with said process. The page table structure is hierarchical, and a separate working set chain is formed for one or more individual levels of the page table hierarchy.