Patent ID: 6516397
Filing Date: 2003-02-04
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method of operating a data processing system having a main memory divided into memory pages, said data processing system having an operating system that sends page store commands specifying memory pages to be stored in a swap file and page retrieve commands specifying memory pages to be retrieved from said swap file and stored in said main memory, said method comprising the steps of:providing compression code for converting one of said memory pages to a compressed memory page; providing a swap driver for receiving operating system commands, said swap driver utilizing said compression code; providing a compressed page region in said main memory for storing compressed memory pages; and providing a page table specifying the location of each compressed page and the page address corresponding to that page, wherein said swap driver compresses one of said memory pages specified in one of said page store commands to provide a corresponding compressed memory page and causes said compressed memory page to be stored in said compressed page region.