Patent ID: 6490670
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method in a data processing system for managing the allocation of memory in an object oriented system executing on the data processing system, wherein a plurality of memory block categories is present in which each memory block category within the plurality of memory block categories contains memory blocks having a fixed memory block size, the method comprising:receiving a request to allocate memory to an object, wherein the request includes an object size; determining whether a memory block category, having an object size corresponding to the object size of the requested object, contains an available memory block; allocating the available memory block to the object in response to a determination that the memory block category associated with a size corresponding to the object size of the object contains an available memory block; locating an available memory block from a memory block category associated with a memory block size larger than the object size in response to a determination that an available memory block is absent in the memory block category associated with a size corresponding to the object size; partitioning the available memory block, located by the locating step, into a number of partitioned memory blocks, each partitioned memory block within the number of partitioned memory blocks having a size corresponding to the requested object size; and allocating a partitioned memory block from the number of partitioned memory blocks to the object.