Compressed Storage Management for RAM Bottlenecks

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Solution Overview

Problem

The performance of computer processors is hindered by bottlenecks such as slow data transfer from hard disk drives to RAM, and increasing RAM capacity is cost-prohibitive due to high RAM costs.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a compressed storage management system that separates storage resources into uncompressed and compressed portions, where data units are selected based on access patterns and usage, compressed, and stored in the compressed portion, with the ability to dynamically adjust the size of the compressed portion in response to system pressure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If more data is stored in RAM to reduce data transfer bottlenecks, then processor performance is improved, but system cost increases due to high RAM costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessor performanceVSAvoidRAM capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies compression to change the storage parameter of data in RAM, storing compressed versions of less frequently accessed data units. This allows more data to be stored in the same physical RAM capacity, effectively increasing available storage without additional hardware cost, thereby reducing data transfer bottlenecks while maintaining cost efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments RAM into compressed and uncompressed portions, with the resource manager dynamically allocating space based on data access patterns. Frequently accessed data units are kept uncompressed for fast access, while less frequently accessed data is compressed to free up space, resolving the contradiction between storing more data and maintaining performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If data is compressed and stored in compressed portion, then storage efficiency is improved, but access speed may be reduced due to compression/decompression overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacityVSAvoiddata access speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different storage qualities to different data units based on their access characteristics. Frequently accessed data units are kept in uncompressed form for fast access, while less frequently accessed data units are compressed to maximize storage efficiency. This local differentiation resolves the speed-capacity contradiction by optimizing for the appropriate criterion in each case

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The resource manager dynamically moves data units between compressed and uncompressed portions based on changing access patterns. When a compressed data unit is accessed, it is decompressed and moved to the uncompressed portion to prevent future compression overhead. This dynamic adaptation ensures that compression only affects data that is not frequently accessed, maintaining speed while improving capacity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS7895242B2Compressed storage management

Publication Date: 2011.02.22 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

In accordance with one or more aspects, compressed storage management in a system includes determining which of multiple data units stored in an uncompressed portion of the storage resource are to be compressed and stored in a compressed portion of the storage resource. The management can further include returning one or more regions of the compressed portion for use in the uncompressed portion in response to storage resource pressure in the system, as well as compacting regions in the compressed portion to fill empty gaps in the compressed portion.