Compressed Page Merging for Redundant Swap Data Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing memory management techniques, such as swapping, generate overhead and reduce flash memory lifespan due to I/O operations and increase system memory usage when compressing and decompressing data, necessitating a method to reduce redundant storage and maintain efficient memory usage.
Innovation Solution
A data compression method that compresses pages, determines identical data within the system memory, merges identical data, and allocates memory for unique data, using specific bits to compress and map data efficiently, thereby reducing redundant storage and I/O overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a swapped-out page is compressed and stored in system memory, then I/O overhead is reduced, but system memory usage is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple swapped-out pages that contain identical data into a single stored copy in system memory. When the same data is swapped out multiple times, instead of storing redundant copies, the system stores one copy and maintains mappings to multiple page table entries, thereby reducing system memory usage while maintaining the benefit of reduced I/O overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal storage mechanism where a single stored page can serve multiple page table entries simultaneously. The page table is modified to store mappings that point to the shared stored page, allowing one physical memory location to fulfill multiple virtual memory requests, thus optimizing system memory utilization.
2Quantity of substance
If swap is used to move processes between memory and swap area, then available memory is increased, but I/O overhead is generated and flash memory lifespan is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary compression of pages before they are swapped out to system memory. By compressing pages in advance and storing them in system memory with proper page table mappings, the system prepares the memory management structure ahead of time, reducing the I/O overhead that would otherwise occur during actual swap-in operations.
3Ease of operation
If multiple copies of identical data are stored in system memory, then memory allocation is simplified, but memory efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a merging mechanism that automatically detects when multiple swapped-out pages contain identical data and consolidates them into a single stored copy. The page table is updated to reflect these mergers by storing mappings that point to the shared data, maintaining ease of memory allocation while dramatically improving memory efficiency by eliminating redundant storage.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are an electronic device and a data compression method thereof. According to a data compression method of an electronic device of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of: compressing a page; determining whether data included in the compressed page is stored in a memory; and merging the compressed page with data previously stored in the memory when a result of the determination shows that the data included in the compressed page is the same as the previously stored data. Therefore, the electronic device can prevent a page including the same or similar data from being stored a multiple number of times in a swap area, thereby raising memory securing efficiency.