Patent ID: 7171540

Claim:
A method for accessing objects stored outside of main memory in an object-addressed memory hierarchy, comprising: receiving a request to access an object, wherein the request includes an object identifier for the object that is used to reference the object within the object-addressed memory hierarchy, wherein the request to access the object is received at a hardware translator within a central processing unit (CPU) and wherein the translator translates between object identifiers (used to reference objects in an object cache within the CPU) and physical addresses (used to address objects in main memory); using the object identifier to retrieve an object table entry associated with the object, wherein the object table entry associates a given object identifier with a corresponding physical address if the object is in main memory and an external location if the object is not in main memory; examining a valid indicator within the object table entry; if the valid indicator indicates the object is located in main memory, using a physical address in the object table entry to access the object in main memory; and if the valid indicator indicates that the object is not located in main memory, relocating the object into memory from a location outside of memory, and then accessing the object in main memory.