Systems and methods for minimizing frequency of garbage collection by deduplication of variables
An information handling system may include a processor and a program of instructions embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to, when read and executed by the processor: in response to a request to write a variable to a solid state device, store the variable to a memory location of the solid state device, the variable including variable data and a variable status indicative of a validity of the variable data, the variable status having a plurality of bits wherein each of the plurality of bits are set to an initial value and in response to a request to modify the variable, modify the variable status by changing one of the plurality of bits from the initial value to a logical complement of the initial value to change the validity of the variable data. The validity of the variable data may be based on whether an even number or odd number of the plurality of bits are equal to the complement of the initial value.
1. An information handling system comprising:
a processor; and
a program of instructions embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to, when read and executed by the processor:
in response to a request to write a variable to a solid state device, store the variable to a memory location of the solid state device, the variable including variable data and a variable status indicative of a validity of the variable data, the variable status having a plurality of bits wherein each of the plurality of bits are set to an initial value; and
in response to a request to modify the variable, modify the variable status by changing one of the plurality of bits from the initial value to a logical complement of the initial value to change the validity of the variable data;
wherein the validity of the variable data is based on whether an even number or odd number of the plurality of bits are equal to the complement of the initial value.
2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the variable is a Boolean-type variable;
validity of the variable data, as determined based on the variable status, indicates the variable is equal to the value set forth in the variable data; and
invalidity of the variable data, as determined based on the variable status, indicates the variable is equal to a logical complement of the value set forth in the variable data.
3. The information handling system of claim 1 , the program of instructions further configured to, responsive to all of the plurality of bits of the variable data being changed to the complement of the initial value:
mark the variable as junk; and
store the variable at a second memory location of the solid state device with each of the plurality of bits of the variable status set to an initial value.
4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the variable has more than two possible values for the variable data and the variable is represented by one or more sub-variables, each of the one or more sub-variables including a respective variable data and a respective variable status indicative of a respective validity of the respective variable data, the respective variable status having a plurality of bits wherein each of the plurality of bits are set to an initial value;
validity of respective variable data of a particular sub-variable, as determined based on the respective variable status of the particular sub-variable, indicates the variable is equal to the value set forth in the respective variable data; and
invalidity of respective variable data of the particular sub-variable, as determined based on the respective variable status of the particular sub-variable, indicates the variable is equal to the value set forth in respective variable data of another sub-variable of the variable having a respective variable status of valid.
5. The information handling system of claim 4 , the program of instructions further configured to, responsive to all of the plurality of bits of the respective variable data of a sub-variable being changed to the complement of the initial value:
mark the sub-variable as junk; and
store the sub-variable at another memory location of the solid state device with each of the plurality of bits of the respective variable status set to an initial value.
6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the program of instructions is embodied in a basic input/output system of the information handling system.
7. The information handling system of claim 6 , wherein the variable is a variable associated with the basic input/output system.
8. A method comprising:
in response to a request to write a variable to a solid state device, storing the variable to a memory location of the solid state device, the variable including variable data and a variable status indicative of a validity of the variable data, the variable status having a plurality of bits wherein each of the plurality of bits are set to an initial value; and
in response to a request to modify the variable, modifying the variable status by changing one of the plurality of bits from the initial value to a logical complement of the initial value to change the validity of the variable data;
wherein the validity of the variable data is based on whether an even number or odd number of the plurality of bits are equal to the complement of the initial value.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the variable is a Boolean-type variable;
validity of the variable data, as determined based on the variable status, indicates the variable is equal to the value set forth in the variable data; and
invalidity of the variable data, as determined based on the variable status, indicates the variable is equal to a logical complement of the value set forth in the variable data.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, responsive to all of the plurality of bits of the variable data being changed to the complement of the initial value:
marking the variable as junk; and
storing the variable at a second memory location of the solid state device with each of the plurality of bits of the variable status set to an initial value.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the variable is a variable associated with a basic input/output system of an information handling system.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the variable has more than two possible values for the variable data and the variable is represented by one or more sub-variables, each of the one or more sub-variables including a respective variable data and a respective variable status indicative of a respective validity of the respective variable data, the respective variable status having a plurality of bits wherein each of the plurality of bits are set to an initial value;
validity of respective variable data of a particular sub-variable, as determined based on the respective variable status of the particular sub-variable, indicates the variable is equal to the value set forth in the respective variable data; and
invalidity of respective variable data of the particular sub-variable, as determined based on the respective variable status of the particular sub-variable, indicates the variable is equal to the value set forth in respective variable data of another sub-variable of the variable having a respective variable status of valid.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, responsive to all of the plurality of bits of the respective variable data of a sub-variable being changed to the complement of the initial value:
marking the sub-variable as junk; and
storing the sub-variable at a another memory location of the solid state device with each of the plurality of bits of the respective variable status set to an initial value.
14. An article of manufacture comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
computer-executable instructions carried on the non-transitory computer readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to, in a basic input/output system of an information handling system:
in response to a request to write a variable to a solid state device, store the variable to a memory location of the solid state device, the variable including variable data and a variable status indicative of a validity of the variable data, the variable status having a plurality of bits wherein each of the plurality of bits are set to an initial value; and
in response to a request to modify the variable, modify the variable status by changing one of the plurality of bits from the initial value to a logical complement of the initial value to change the validity of the variable data;
wherein the validity of the variable data is based on whether an even number or odd number of the plurality of bits are equal to the complement of the initial value.
15. The article of claim 14 , wherein:
the variable is a Boolean-type variable;
validity of the variable data, as determined based on the variable status, indicates the variable is equal to the value set forth in the variable data; and
invalidity of the variable data, as determined based on the variable status, indicates the variable is equal to a logical complement of the value set forth in the variable data.
16. The article of claim 14 , the instructions for further causing the processor to, responsive to all of the plurality of bits of the variable data being changed to the complement of the initial value:
mark the variable as junk; and
store the variable at a second memory location of the solid state device with each of the plurality of bits of the variable status set to an initial value.
17. The article of claim 14 , wherein the variable is a variable associated with a basic input/output system of an information handling system.
18. The article of claim 14 , wherein:
the variable has more than two possible values for the variable data and the variable is represented by one or more sub-variables, each of the one or more sub-variables including a respective variable data and a respective variable status indicative of a respective validity of the respective variable data, the respective variable status having a plurality of bits wherein each of the plurality of bits are set to an initial value;
validity of respective variable data of a particular sub-variable, as determined based on the respective variable status of the particular sub-variable, indicates the variable is equal to the value set forth in the respective variable data; and
invalidity of respective variable data of the particular sub-variable, as determined based on the respective variable status of the particular sub-variable, indicates the variable is equal to the value set forth in respective variable data of another sub-variable of the variable having a respective variable status of valid.
19. The article of claim 18 , the instructions for further causing the processor to, responsive to all of the plurality of bits of the respective variable data of a sub-variable being changed to the complement of the initial value:
mark the sub-variable as junk; and
store the sub-variable at a another memory location of the solid state device with each of the plurality of bits of the respective variable status set to an initial value.