Computer system having logically ordered cache management
A computer system is set forth that includes a processor, general memory storage, and cache memory for temporarily storing selected data requested from the general memory storage. The computer system also may include file system software that is executed by the processor. The file system software may be used to manage the file data and the structure of the file system for files stored on the general memory storage. Management of the cache memory is placed under the control of cache management software. The cache management software is executed by the processor to manage the contents of the cache memory pursuant to cache hit and cache miss criterion. Sections of the cache memory are organized by the cache management software based on logical addresses of file data requested from the general memory storage.
1. A computer system comprising:
a processor;
general memory storage;
cache memory for temporarily storing selected data requested from the general memory storage;
cache management software executable by the processor for managing the contents of the cache memory pursuant to cache hit and cache miss criterion, where the cache management software dedicates physically contiguous memory locations of the cache memory to an individual file and organizes the cache memory dedicated to the individual file so that data items of the individual file are ordered in sequential physical locations of the physically contiguous memory in sequential order of the logical addresses of the data items;
a write buffer for temporarily storing selected data that is to be written from the cache memory to the general memory storage, where the write buffer includes physically contiguous memory locations dedicated to the individual file so that data items of the individual file are ordered in the physically contiguous locations of the write buffer in sequential order of the logical addresses of the data items of the individual file;
where the cache management software organizes the contents of the write buffer, and where organization of the contents of the write buffer occurs prior to the writing of the write buffer contents to the general memory storage;
file system software executable by the processor for managing file data and file system structure of files stored on the general memory storage; and
where the file system software allocates a new memory area in the general memory storage based on a total amount of memory space needed to relocate the original data items of a given file and the data items of the write buffer for the given file to the new memory area.
2. The computer system as claimed in claim 1 , where the file system software organizes the given file in physically contiguous memory locations of the new memory area so data items of a given file are ordered in sequential physical locations of the physically contiguous memory locations of the new memory area in sequential order of logical addresses of the data items.
3. The computer system as claimed in claim 1 , where the general memory storage comprises flash memory.
4. The computer system as claimed in claim 1 , where the general memory storage comprises rotating disk memory.
5. A computer system comprising:
a processor;
general memory storage;
cache memory for temporarily storing selected data requested from the general memory storage;
cache management software executable by the processor for managing the contents of the cache memory pursuant to cache hit and cache miss criterion, where the cache management software allocates a first memory section of physically contiguous memory locations of the cache memory to data items of a first file, where physically contiguous memory locations of the first memory section are allocated sequentially to data items of the first file sequentially in order of logical addresses of data items of the first file, and a second memory section of physically contiguous memory locations of the cache memory to data items of a second file, where physically contiguous memory locations of the second memory section are allocated sequentially to data items of the second file in order of logical addresses of data items of the second file;
a write buffer for temporarily storing selected data items of the first and/or second file that are to be written from the cache memory to the general memory storage, where the write buffer includes one or more sections allocated to the first and/or second file that are organized so that data items of an individual file in its corresponding section are ordered sequentially in sequential physical locations of physically contiguous memory locations of the one or more sections allocated to the first and/or second file in sequential order of logical addresses of the data items of the respective first and/or second file;
where the cache management software logically organizes the contents of the write buffer, and where logical organization of the contents of the write buffer occurs prior to the writing of the write buffer contents to the first and/or second files in the general memory storage;
file system software executable by the processor for managing file data and file system structure of files stored on the general memory storage; and
where the file system software allocates a new memory area in the general memory storage for the first file based on a total amount of memory space needed to relocate original data items of the first file and the data items of the write buffer for the first file to the new memory area in the general memory storage.
6. The computer system as claimed in claim 5 , where the file system software further allocates a further new memory area for the second file in the general memory storage based on a total amount of memory space needed to relocate original data items of the second file and the data items of the write buffer for the second file to the further new memory area in the general memory storage.
7. The computer system as claimed in claim 5 , where the general memory storage comprises flash memory.
8. The computer system as claimed in claim 5 , where the general memory storage comprises rotating disk memory.