Method and system for dynamically controlling the operation of a program

Abstract: In a data processing system, the time lost in checking for the presence of all memory references required byl a special section of code before the program is run is substantially reduced, and the program requiring the memory reference is dynamically protected from crashing if the memory reference is not presently available. The method assumes that all memory references are available and begins running (45) the special section of code without checking their availability. If a request is made for information that is not in assigned memory storage, a page fault occurs (47), and the data processing system interrupts the running of the special section of code (37) and undoes everything the special section of code has done prior to the interrupt (39). The requested memory reference is then located in storage (41), and the information is retrieved and written into assigned memory (43). The special section of code is then restarted and will now be supplied with the needed information. It has been found that in practice it takes much less time to assume the memory references will be present and occasionally interrupt, erase and restart, than to make a preliminary check for all memory references.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The memory of a computer is frequently divided into pages or page frames. When a program is to be run, it is assigned a certain number of available pages of memory. As the program runs, it makes reference to memory for information, data or subroutines. Some programs or special sections of code in a program require that all information, data and subroutines, hereinafter generally referred to as memory references, to be requested are in assigned available memory in order for the special section of code to operate. In the event that the special section of code makes such a memory reference, and the reference is not available in the assigned memory, the program undergoes a page fault and an error occurs. In order to avoid this error condition, it is necessary to do a preliminary check to make sure that all required memory references are available to the program before it is run. All of the memory references are then marked or wired into assigned memory so they cannot be erased or moved out of memory before the special section of code is run. The running of this check program requires an extended period of time, much of which is wasted since more often than not all of the requested memory references are available. More time is lost after the program is run in going back through the memory unmarking or unwiring all of the memory references. This is illustrated in the flow chart shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. Here, an operating system is preparing to execute a special section of code that performs a series of operations that must either all be completed or not done at all. This code must not be interrupted by a page fault in the middle of its execution because it could result in some but not all of the operations being performed. However, in performing the series of operations, this code will make memory references to pages that may not be resident in memory and therefore could cause the disallowed page fault. Referring to Figure 1, before entering a special section of code 11 which requires the presence of all memory references to avoid a page fault condition, the operating system first prechecks the memory references at 13 that could cause page faults. If the memory reference is not in assigned memory, as shown by decision block 15, a search is made in storage 17 to locate the needed memory reference. When the memory reference is located, it is written into assigned memory storage at 19 and the flow chart then returns to block 13 for the precheck of all memory reference to make sure they are all now resident in assigned memory. The flow chart again passes through the decision block 15 and the answer is "yes" that all memory references are now in assigned memory. All of the memory references are then marked so that the memory references cannot be erased before the special section of code is run. (This operation is usually referred to as "wiring" or "locking" the pages into memory.) Then the special section of code is executed at 23, assured that no page faults will occur, and that all of the series of operations will complete. When this point in the process is reached, all of the memory references previously marked or wired into assigned memory are now unmarked at 25 and are allowed to be erased or moved from memory. We have appreciated that with such a system there are problems; in particular 1) it is slow; and 2) it is wasted effort in a large majority of cases. For most of these memory references, the page is already in memory and will not be removed from memory. A great deal of time is lost in prechecking the presence of all memory references, searching for, locating and writing into assigned memory any page that are missing, and then marking each one of the required memory references before the special section of code can even begin to run. After the special section has completed running, time is again lost going through all of the assigned memory locations unmarking all of the memory references so that that section of memory is again available to the operating system. We have appreciated that all this is used to avoid a problem that only occurs in a small percentage of cases. International Patent Application WO 84/02410 is directed to a virtual machine data processor which, when an access fault is detected during instruction execution, automatically stores in an external memory all essential information relating to the internal state of the system. The faulted instruction is suspended while the cause of the fault is resolved. The program is then resumed at the start of the access which had encountered the fault. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is defined in the appended claims, to which reference should now be made. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, described in a more detail below, an improved data processing system and method of operation are provided which do not require the preliminary running of a check program to locate and then mark all memory references required during the operation of a program or special section of code in a program. The time spent in carrying out the preliminary memory reference check and marking of the references is saved, as well as the time spent after the run in having to go back through the assigned storage to unmark all of the memory references. In operation, the assumption is made that all memory references to be requested by a section of a program are available in assigned memory locations. If that assumption proves incorrect, the steps involved are: interrupt the running of the program and undo everything the special section of code has completed before the interrupt, locate the needed memory reference in storage and write it into an assigned memory location, and restart the special section of code, supplying the needed memory reference when requested. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 (referred to above) is a program flow chart for the conventional solution for avoiding a page fault error in the absence of a needed memory reference; and Figure 2 is a flow chart of an improved data processing system embodying the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In accordance with the present invention, an assumption is made that all memory references needed by the program or special section of code are already in memory. Since more than 90% of the time this assumption is correct, no page fault will then occur and substantial time is saved by not running the check program and having to mark the memory references before the program or special section of code is run and then having to again lose time having to go through assigned memory unlocking all of the memory references so that portion of memory is available to the operating system. Referring to Figure 2, an improved operating system embodying the invention is shown and indicated generally by the number 30. A special section of code to be executed by the operation system that requires the presence of all memory references is held at 31 before being carried out. The assumption is made at 33 that all of the required memory references are available in assigned memory. Before the operating system begins to run, the page fault handler routine is changed at 35 to accomplish the tasks set out in blocks 37-43 of the flowchart so that the system will not crash if a memory reference is found missing. The most common occurrence will be for the special section of code to proceed through each step of the flowchart without a page fault occurring. The special section of code runs at block 45. If no page fault occurs at 47 the section of code completes running at 49. When finished, the page fault handler routine is returned to its normal condition at 51. If a page fault does occur at 47 while executing the special section of code, the modified fault handler routine first interrupts the running of the program at 37, stopping and preventing the program from a crash. It is then important that it undoes everything already carried out by the special section of code at 39 so that there are no fragments of the operation of the code in existence. That is, it goes back through the steps of code in reverse order, undoing or reversing each step in turn, until the beginning of the special section of code is reached. The operating system includes the necessary routines for this undoing operation to be executed. The missing memory reference is then sought at 41 and is loaded into an assigned memory location at 43. The special section of code is then started again at 45 and the decision block 47 inquires whether a page fault has occurred. In the event a page fault does occur, then the answer at the decision block is "yes" and the program proceeds through steps 37, 39, 41, 43 and again returns to 45 and starts the program over again. We have found it to be much faster to risk having to erase or reverse portions of the program which have been carried out so that there is a clean slate in the computer, and then to start over again running from the beginning, and even having to repeat this process if another memory reference is needed, rather than having to spend the unnecessary time, in most occurrences, of having to go through precheck, wire into memory each of the memory references, and then after the completion of the run of the special section of code, having to go through assigned memory unwiring or unmarking all of the memory references used to make that portion of memory again available to the operating system. Returning to Figure 2, after the special section of code has completed running at 49, the page fault handler routine is changed at 51 to return the operating system to its normal condition of operation in the event the next portion of the program or section of code will not need the same protection provided by the system of the present invention. It is seen from the above that the improved operating system described substantially reduces the time necessary in the carrying out of a program or special section of code which requires the presence of all memory references in order to avoid a page fault. By making the assumption that all of the references are present and then forging ahead, the program more often than not completes without the waste of time of having to go through assigned memory, finding the memory references and marking them, only to again, at the end of the run, go through assigned memory once more unmarking the references. The system assumes everything is there and modifies the page fault handler routine so that in the rare occurrence that a memory reference is not present the system does not crash, but rather is interrupted, the slate is wiped clean, the memory reference is found, loaded into assigned memory, and the program is started again, saving a considerable amount of time. The improved data processing system is not dependent on a computer from any particular company. Any of the well-known data processing systems supplied by Data General Corporation, the present applicants, can be modified in accordance with the present invention.

Claims: A method of operating a software program which includes a special section of code comprising a plurality of steps in a data processing system, said method comprising the steps of : starting operation of the special section of code, and when a memory reference is required for operation of the special section of code, requesting the required memory reference from an area of memory assigned for operation of the special section of code; if the memory reference is available in the assigned memory, providing access to the requested memory reference and continuing the operation of the special section of code, and if the memory reference is unavailable indicating a defined condition; said method characterised in that: the operation of the special section of code is started without checking for the availability of the memory references; and, in response to the defined condition indicating non-availability of the memory reference, by: (i) interrupting the operation of the special section of code; (ii) undoing whatever steps the special section of code had done since the start of the operation of the special section of code up to the interrupt; (iii) locating the required memory reference in storage, reading the memory reference from storage, and writing the memory reference to the assigned memory area; and (iv) restarting the operation of the special section of code; the interrupting and the undoing being carried out by a modified fault routine; and after running of the special section of code is completed, the fault routine is returned to its unmodified condition; whereby a fault condition due to the non-availability of the memory reference is prevented. A method according to claim 1, in which the defined condition is a fault condition. A method according to claim 2, in which the defined condition is a page fault condition. A method according to any of the claims 1 to 3, in which the undoing comprises reversing each of the steps of the special section of code in the reverse order to their normal operation. A data processing system for operating a software program which includes a special section of code comprising a plurality of steps, said data processing system comprising: means for running the program; means for requesting a memory reference required for operation of the special section of code in the program from an area of memory assigned for operation of the special section of code, and, if the memory reference is available in the assigned memory, providing access to the requested memory reference and continuing the operation of the special section of code, and if the memory reference is unavailable indicating a defined condition; characterised in that it further comprises: the means for running the program starts the special section of code without checking for the availability of the memory references; and by: means responsive to the said defined condition indicating the non-availability of the memory reference, and including: (i) means for initiating an interrupt of the operation of the special section of code; (ii) means for undoing whatever steps the special section of code had done since the start of the operation of the special section of code up to the interrupt; (iii) means for locating the required memory reference in storage, reading the memory reference from storage, and writing the memory reference to the assigned memory area; and (iv) means for restarting the operation of the special section of code, the interrupting and the undoing being carried out by a modified fault routine, and after running of the special section of code is completed, the fault routine is returned to its unmodified condition. A data processing system according to claim 5, in which the defined condition is a fault condition. A data processing system according to claim 6, in which the defined condition is a page fault condition. A data processing system according to any of the claims 5 to 7, in which the means for undoing includes means for reversing each of the steps in the special section of code in the reverse order to their normal operation.

Inventors: KELLEY MICHAEL HALSTEAD, KELLEY, MICHAEL HALSTEAD
Applicants: DATA GENERAL CORP, DATA GENERAL CORPORATION
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G06F11
IPC codes: G06F9, G06F11, G06F12