Patent ID: 6801990
Filing Date: 2004-10-05
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
For satisfying requests for dynamic allocation of blocks of a computer system's computer memory, a method that includes:A) maintaining an inventory of memory blocks available for dynamic allocation; B) providing a demand indicator for each of a plurality of size ranges; C) in response to release requests that specify respective memory blocks, adding those memory blocks to the inventory; D) for each of at least some memory blocks in the inventory: i) making a splitting decision for that memory block that depends on the value of the demand indicator associated with the size range to which the size of that memory block belongs and on the number of inventory memory blocks that are in that size range; and ii) splitting that memory block into split-result memory blocks only upon a positive outcome of the splitting decision made for that block; and E) allocating split-result memory blocks in response to at least some allocation requests.