Patent ID: 8028113
Filing Date: 2011-09-27
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for memory management, comprising: allocating to at least one first process a first page reference to a first page of memory; allocating to at least one second process a second page reference to a second page of memory; copying contents of the first page to the second page; merging sectors of the first page to the second page after the at least one second process has altered sectors of the second page; maintaining a first reference count for the at least one first process associated with the first page of memory; maintaining a first shared reference count for the at least one second process associated with the first page of memory, wherein the first shared reference count represents a number of non-updating processes accessing the first page; freeing the first page of memory when the first shared reference count is decremented to zero and the first reference count equals zero; incrementing the first shared reference count when a new non-updating process accesses the first page of memory; decrementing the first shared reference count when an existing non-updating process terminates; and maintaining a second reference count and a second shared reference count associated with the second page of memory, wherein the second shared reference count represents a number of non-updating processes accessing the second page of memory and is initially set to zero.