Patent ID: 6304951
Filing Date: 2001-10-16
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method in a data processing system having a virtual memory address space for utilizing virtual memory descriptors to efficiently access a main memory included within said data processing system, said main memory addressed utilizing a first plurality of physical addresses, said method comprising the steps of:establishing a temporary association between a region of said main memory addressed utilizing a second plurality of physical addresses and a segment of said virtual memory address space addressed utilizing a plurality of virtual addresses;in response to said establishment of said temporary association, generating a virtual memory descriptor for said segment, said virtual memory descriptor being utilized to virtually address said segment;translating each of said plurality of virtual addresses to one of said second plurality of physical addresses;storing said translated one of said second plurality of physical addresses for each of said plurality of virtual addresses in said virtual memory descriptor, said plurality of virtual addresses being translated to said second plurality of physical addresses and stored prior to said virtual memory descriptor being utilized to access said main memory;in response to said translating and storing steps, setting a pretranslated bit within said virtual memory descriptor, wherein said pretranslated bit indicates that said virtual memory descriptor includes physical address translations of said virtual addresses;executing one of a plurality of commands which accesses one of said plurality of virtual addresses utilizing said memory descriptor, wherein said one of said plurality of virtual addresses corresponds to one of said second plurality of physical addresses; andduring said execution:determining whether or not said pretranslated bit is set; andin response to determining that said pretranslated bit is set, utilizing said memory descriptor to locate said one of said second plurality of physical addresses that corresponds to said accessed virtual address.