Cooperative memory management
A method for managing memory in some embodiments comprises maintaining a memory pool, and specifying an amount of memory required for allocation. In some embodiments, the method also comprises requesting a process to release memory into the memory pool. In some embodiments, the method also comprises allocating an amount of the memory pool to a process. In some embodiments, the method comprises maintaining a memory pool, receiving status information from a plurality of processes, and managing memory among the plurality of processes using the status information.
1. A method for managing memory, comprising:
maintaining a memory pool that is shared by a plurality of processes, wherein the memory pool includes committed memory and uncommitted memory, and maintaining the memory pool includes:
assigning to each of the plurality of processes a corresponding amount of committed memory from the memory pool;
specifying a specified amount of memory in the memory pool for allocation for a memory-requesting process;
requesting a memory-releasing process to release a requested amount of memory in the memory pool;
wherein the memory-requesting process is not necessarily the same process as the memory-releasing process.
2. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory-releasing process operates in a garbage-collected environment.
3. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory-releasing process is a Java process.
4. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory-releasing process is a Java program.
5. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory pool includes reserved memory.
6. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory pool includes memory owned by the plurality of processes.
7. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory pool includes a plurality of subpools.
8. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , further comprising determining that the specified amount of memory is required for allocation.
9. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , further comprising receiving a memory request from the memory-requesting process for the specified amount of memory and determining that the specified amount of memory is required for allocation.
10. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a monitored process and determining that the monitored process requires additional memory.
11. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a monitored process and detecting a rate of garbage collection for the monitored process.
12. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , further comprising selecting the memory-releasing process from a plurality of processes based on status information.
13. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , wherein requesting the memory-releasing process to release a requested amount of memory in the memory pool includes making a request via a system call.
14. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , wherein requesting the memory-releasing process to release a requested amount of memory in the memory pool includes making a request via an inter-process communication protocol.
15. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , wherein the specified amount of memory is approximately equal to the requested amount of memory.
16. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , wherein the requested amount of memory in the memory pool is freeable memory.
17. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 1 , further comprising refilling a subpool of the memory pool with the requested amount of memory released by the memory-releasing process.
18. A method for managing memory, comprising:
maintaining a memory pool that is shared by a plurality of processes, wherein the memory pool includes committed memory and uncommitted memory, and maintaining the memory pool includes:
assigning to each of the plurality of processes a corresponding amount of committed memory from the memory pool;
receiving status information from the plurality of processes; and
managing memory among the plurality of processes using the status information.
19. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 18 , wherein managing memory among the plurality of processes includes allocating memory to one of the plurality of processes.
20. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 18 , wherein managing memory among the plurality of processes includes requesting one of the plurality of processes to release memory.
21. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 18 , wherein the status information includes status of freeable memory.
22. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 18 , wherein the status information includes efficiency of the process's garbage collector.
23. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 18 , further comprising requesting status information.
24. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 18 , wherein the status information is sent along with a memory allocation request.
25. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 18 , wherein the status information is received periodically.
26. A method for managing memory, comprising:
determining an appropriate amount of committed memory in a memory pool that is shared by a plurality of processes, wherein the memory pool includes committed memory and uncommitted memory;
maintaining the memory pool;
determining that an amount of uncommitted memory in the memory pool is required for allocation; and
allocating the required amount of uncommitted memory from the memory pool to a process.
27. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 26 , wherein determining that an amount of memory in the memory pool is required for allocation includes determining a request priority.
28. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 26 , wherein determining that an amount of memory in the memory pool is required for allocation includes receiving a request having an urgency level and determining a request priority based on the urgency level.
29. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 26 , wherein determining that an amount of memory in the memory pool is required for allocation includes determining whether the process includes memory collateral.
30. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 26 , wherein allocating the amount of memory to a process includes selecting the amount of memory from a subpool of the memory pool.
31. A method for managing memory as recited in claim 26 , wherein allocating the amount of memory to a process includes selecting the amount of memory from a subpool of the memory pool; further comprising refilling the subpool with released memory by the process.
32. A memory management system, comprising:
a memory including a memory pool that is shared by a plurality of processes, wherein the memory pool includes committed memory and uncommitted memory;
a processor coupled to the memory, configured to:
assign to each of the plurality of processes a corresponding amount of committed memory from the memory pool;
specify a specified amount of memory in the memory pool for allocation for a memory-requesting process;
request a memory-releasing process to release a requested amount of memory in the memory pool;
wherein the memory-requesting process is not necessarily the same process as the memory-releasing process.
33. A memory management system, comprising:
a memory including a memory pool that is shared by a plurality of processes, wherein the memory pool includes committed memory and uncommitted memory;
a processor coupled to the memory, configured to:
assign to each of the plurality of processes a corresponding amount of committed memory from the committed portion, the committed memory being memory required to run said each process;
receive status information from a plurality of processes; and
manage memory among the plurality of processes using the status information.
34. A memory management system, comprising:
a memory including a memory pool, wherein the memory pool is shared by a plurality of processes, and the memory pool includes committed memory and uncommitted memory;
a processor coupled to the memory, configured to:
determine an appropriate amount of committed memory in the memory pool;
maintain the memory pool;
determine that an amount of uncommitted memory in the memory pool is required for allocation; and
allocate the required amount of uncommitted memory from the memory pool to a process.
35. A computer program product for managing memory, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:
maintaining a memory pool that is shared by a plurality of processes, wherein the memory pool includes committed memory and uncommitted memory, and maintaining the memory pool includes:
assigning to each of the plurality of processes a corresponding amount of committed memory from the memory pool;
specifying a specified amount of memory in the memory pool for allocation for a memory-requesting process;
requesting a memory-releasing process to release a requested amount of memory in the memory pool;
wherein the memory-requesting process is not necessarily the same process as the memory-releasing process.
36. A computer program product for managing memory, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:
maintaining a memory pool that is shared by a plurality of processes, wherein the memory pool includes a committed portion and an uncommitted portion, and maintaining the memory pool includes:
assigning to each of the plurality of processes corresponding committed memory from the committed portion, the committed memory being memory required to run said each process;
receiving status information from the plurality of processes; and
managing memory among the plurality of processes using the status information.
37. A computer program product for managing memory, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:
determining an appropriate amount of committed memory in a memory pool, wherein the memory pool is shared by a plurality of processes, and the memory pool includes committed memory and uncommitted memory;
maintaining the memory pool;
determining that an amount of uncommitted memory in the memory pool is required for allocation; and
allocating the required amount of uncommitted memory from the memory pool to a process.