Patent ID: 7124275
Filing Date: 2006-10-17
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for determining a physical address associated with a corresponding storage location in a physical memory space from a virtual address by using a hierarchical mapping regulation with a plurality of hierarchically arranged node levels, wherein a virtual address space associated with the virtual address is larger than the physical address space, the virtual address having a plurality of portions, each portion of the virtual address being associated to a corresponding node level of the virtual address space, each node level having at least one node, each node having a node list with corresponding list entries, each list entry of an associated node list referring to one of a corresponding node of a hierarchically lower node level and an associated physical address, wherein a length of each portion of the virtual address defines a maximum number of list entries included in each node belonging to the node level associated to the portion, wherein at least one node of the plurality of node levels is a compressed node including an associated node list having fewer than the maximum number of list entries, wherein the hierarchical mapping regulation includes a compression indicator associated to said at least one compressed node, and wherein the method comprises: reading the compression indicator; reading a portion of the virtual address; determining an entry in a node list of a node of a node level associated to the read portion of the virtual address, by using the read portion of the virtual address and the compression indicator; reading the determined entry of the node list to identify a node of a hierarchically lower node level referenced by the determined entry; and determining the physical address by using the node of the hierarchically lower node level referenced by the determined entry.