Patent ID: 8341183

Claim:
A method, in a data processing system, for representing the allocation of integers, the method comprising: generating a set of integers, wherein integers in the set of integers are either allocated or unallocated, and wherein when an integer from the set of integers is allocated, the allocated integer represents a system resource of the data processing system; representing a first allocation of integers, from the set of integers, via a set of nodes of a tree, wherein a data structure in a node represents, for each integer in the set of integers represented by the node, whether the integer is allocated or unallocated (free); and representing a subsequent allocation, comprising adding a new node to the set of nodes of the tree, wherein: the subsequent allocation consists of freeing of an integer allocated in the first allocation; and a data structure of the new node represents that the integer allocated in the first allocation is free, wherein nodes of the tree comprise nodes representing sets of integers that comprise an unallocated (free) integer and a minimum set of parent nodes required to preserve a structure of the tree with regard to linking nodes representing sets of integers that comprise an unallocated (free) integer, and wherein the tree does not comprise nodes representing sets of integers that comprise only allocated integers.