Importance

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Abstract

A software methodology to control replacement of one or more selected pages within a cache memory in a computer system. The operating system designates one or more pages containing critical data, text or other digital information as hot pages within a physical system memory in the computer system and prevents replacement during execution of various application programs of these hot pages when cached. The operating system inhibits allocation of the conflict pages that would map to cache locations occupied by a cached hot page, thereby preserving the hot page within the cache memory. The conflict pages are placed at the bottom of a free list created in the system memory by the operating system. The operating system scans the free list using a pointer while allocating free system memory space at run-time. The system memory pages are allocated from the free list until the pointer reaches a conflict page. This allows the operating system to prevent the conflict pages from getting cached to the hot page location within the cache memory. The operating system can also allow a user to designate one or more hot pages during run-time. The user is warned when the number of hot pages reaches or exceeds a predetermined limit.

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First Claim