Physical Memory Address Remapping Without Reboot Downtime
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems require a reboot to repartition physical address mapping of memory devices, which is time-consuming and risks errors or interruptions, especially in high-performance processing systems.
Innovation Solution
Dynamic repartitioning of physical address mapping is performed without rebooting, by temporarily relocating data from critical and non-critical memory locations, and repartitioning the physical address maps accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the system is rebooted to change physical address mapping, then the mapping can be changed, but system downtime increases and error risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic repartitioning of physical address mapping that can be changed during system operation without requiring a reboot. The memory controller dynamically updates the physical address map and redistributes data across memory devices while the system remains operational, transforming the static mapping configuration into a dynamic one that can adapt to changing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary data relocation by temporarily moving data from memory blocks that will be affected by the mapping change to intermediate storage locations before updating the physical address map. This preliminary action ensures that when the mapping is updated, no data loss or corruption occurs, and the system can switch to the new mapping configuration without interruption or reboot.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system is rebooted to change physical address mapping, then the mapping can be changed, but system stability decreases due to potential boot errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic repartitioning of physical address mapping that can be changed during system operation without requiring a reboot. The memory controller dynamically updates the physical address map and redistributes data across memory devices while the system remains operational, transforming the static mapping configuration into a dynamic one that can adapt to changing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements error protection mechanisms by creating redundant copies of data during the repartitioning process and verifying data integrity before and after the mapping change. This cushioning approach ensures that if errors occur during the dynamic repartitioning, the system can recover without compromising stability, thus protecting against the boot errors that would occur with traditional reboot-based methods.
3Adaptability or versatility
If data is temporarily relocated during dynamic repartitioning, then mapping can be changed without reboot, but additional memory operations are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the memory system into distinct regions: active memory blocks, memory blocks undergoing repartitioning, and intermediate storage locations for temporarily relocated data. This segmentation allows the system to perform repartitioning operations on specific segments without affecting the entire memory system, reducing the complexity of coordinating data relocation across all memory devices simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate storage locations that act as mediators during the data relocation process. These intermediate locations temporarily hold data that is being moved from its original memory blocks to new destinations during the dynamic repartitioning. This intermediary approach simplifies the relocation process by providing a buffer zone that decouples the complexity of simultaneous data movement from the critical path of the mapping update.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for dynamic repartitioning of physical memory address mapping involve relocating data stored at one or more physical memory locations of one or more memory devices to another memory device or mass storage device, repartitioning one or more corresponding physical memory maps to include new mappings between physical memory addresses and physical memory locations of the one or more memory devices, then loading the relocated data back onto the one or more memory devices at physical memory locations determined by the new physical address mapping. Such dynamic repartitioning of the physical memory address mapping does not require a processing system to be rebooted and has various applications in connection with interleaving reconfiguration and error correcting code (ECC) reconfiguration of the processing system.