Patent ID: 11868652
Assignee: SK HYNIX INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A method of allocating a buffer memory to a plurality of data storage zones of a data storage system, the method comprising:
receiving a request for allocation of at least part of the buffer memory to hold data to be fed to a first data storage zone of the plurality of data storage zones;
determining a free space size of the buffer memory available for allocation for the first data storage zone;
comparing the free space size to a reallocation threshold size that triggers reallocating at least a portion of a currently allocated buffer memory space;
comparing utilization indices of the plurality of data storage zones including the first data storage zone to a first threshold utilization index for deallocating a currently allocated buffer memory space and a second threshold utilization index for allocating a deallocated buffer memory space;
deallocating, upon a determination that the free space size is smaller than the reallocation threshold size, a portion of a currently allocated buffer memory space that is allocated to at least one of the plurality of data storage zones that has a lower utilization index than the first threshold utilization index; and
allocating, upon a determination that the utilization index of the first data storage zone is higher than the second threshold utilization index, the deallocated portion of the buffer memory space to the first data storage zone,
wherein the first and second threshold utilization indices have different values from each other.