JPH0670785B2 - Buffer memory expansion method by pointer dynamic control - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for expanding a buffer memory by pointer dynamic control. In particular, the present invention relates to means for expanding (adding) the buffer memory without stopping the operation of the device having the function of reading and storing the data in the buffer memory using the pointer.

[Background of the Invention]

Generally, when the dynamic control of the pointer is applied to the buffer memory, the size of the buffer memory is fixed in the system in the related art. That is, the system has a fixed storage area.

Also, as a system correspondence, when making the buffer memory size variable, dynamic control of the pointer cannot be applied,
The following static control is applied. That is, it is a method in which a plurality of (two or more) buffer memories of the same size are prepared, and the storage / reading of data from the start end to the end of each buffer memory is controlled by the face for each buffer memory. For example, when data is stored, when the buffer memory on one surface becomes full, the storage operation is moved to the buffer memory on the next surface.

Therefore, in the prior art, when realizing a variable buffer memory size corresponding to the system, it is necessary to prepare a buffer memory that is at least twice as large as the buffer memory size required by the method. Therefore, the conventional technology has drawbacks such as when the amount of data to be handled is large, such as traffic data, the required buffer memory becomes enormous, the system becomes larger due to the increase in memory, the cost increases, etc., and it becomes unsuitable for practical use. It was

[Object of the Invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and provides a buffer memory having a memory size suitable for each system even when a large amount of data is handled and the data amount is different depending on the system. To provide a flexible buffer memory expansion method by pointer dynamic control that realizes an economical system and can respond to a system expansion (expansion) request at a later date without stopping the system operation. Has an aim.

[Outline of Invention]

A buffer memory expansion method by pointer dynamic control according to the present invention receives a buffer memory expansion instruction given by an operator and surface data of a buffer memory after memory expansion work, and extracts pointer data of a storage pointer and a read pointer.
The order of the storage pointer and the read pointer is judged, and when the storage pointer indicates ahead of the read pointer (the direction in which data is stored and read is “first”), the buffer memory of the given buffer memory The number-of-faces data is stored in a face-number management data section provided in advance. Then, expansion processing is performed so that the width of the value that can be taken by the plane designating section (designating the buffer memory plane where both pointers exist) provided in the storage pointer and the read pointer becomes the value stored in the plane number management data section. Further, when the storage pointer indicates after the read pointer, the expansion processing is waited until the storage pointer indicates before the read pointer, and then the expansion processing of the buffer memory is performed. .

Example of Invention

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a data-related diagram for explaining pointers, data, and a method of using a buffer memory in a method of expanding a buffer memory by dynamic pointer control according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the buffer memory 10 has three surfaces capable of storing “2 to the nth power” of fixed-length size data. In addition to the respective surfaces 101, 102, 103, virtual surfaces 104, 105, 106 indicated by broken lines are shown. ... is provided. The virtual surface functions as a logical buffer capable of storing and reading data by the operation of the pointer.

The number-of-sides management data 1 is data indicating the number of mounted sides of the system-compatible buffer memory 10. In the case of the present embodiment, since three buffer memories are currently provided as can be seen from the figure, The number 3 is given.

The storage pointer 2 is a pointer indicating a data storage address in the buffer memory, and is a relative address within the buffer plane designated by the plane designation section indicating the buffer memory plane indicated by the pointer and the plane designation section. Is configured to have a management unit indicating.

Similarly, the read pointer 3 is a pointer that indicates the data read address in the buffer memory, and is a relative point in the buffer plane designated by the plane designation section that indicates the buffer memory plane indicated by the pointer. It is a read pointer having a management unit indicating an address. The read pointer 3 is used to sequentially read the data existing at the address indicated by the pointer and to erase the used data. Then, as described above, the storage pointer 2 and the read pointer 3 hold a relative address indicating which data of “2 to the n-th power” of data for each surface of the buffer memory 10 (a management unit (on one surface)). The surface designating section operates as a surface number counter having a function of counting the number of surfaces and has a function of infinitely counting the virtual surfaces 104, 105, 106 ... .

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the read pointer 3 indicates the surface 103 which is the third surface.
Is held.

As described above, since the data is sequentially stored in the buffer memory 10 and the stored data is sequentially read and erased to perform the operation, the content designated by the storage pointer 2 precedes the content designated by the read pointer 3. (Store data,
The reading direction is referred to as "first") and the storage pointer 2 on the buffer memory 10
The designated contents of (1) can overtake the designated contents of the read pointer 3, that is, cannot be preceded.

In FIG. 1, data is stored in the buffer memory 10 from a position within the surface 103 indicated by the read pointer 3, and when the end of the surface 103 is reached, the data then returns to the start end of the surface 101 and further the surface 102. This indicates that the data is stored up to the position immediately before the storage pointer 2.

This is because the contents of the respective surface designation portions of the storage pointer 2 and the read pointer 3 are divided by the value (“3” in FIG. 1) indicated by the surface number management data 1 and the remainder data is compared and judged. As a result, whether the data is continuously stored in the buffer memory 10 (the pointers 2 and 3 are in the normal order) or the data is stored discontinuously in the physical space (the pointers 2 and 3 are inverted) as shown in the figure. Order) can be detected.

Here, as shown in the figure, assuming a virtual surface that is logically configured and an infinite counter that holds the contents indicated by both pointers, “correct order” means that the value indicated by the storage pointer 2 is the read pointer. If it is larger than the value indicated by 3,
“Inversion order” refers to the opposite case.

Now, consider physically expanding (adding) the memory buffer currently having three sides to more than four sides. The operator performs the work of expanding the memory buffer. In this case, the above operation is performed without stopping the operation of the system including the memory buffer as shown in FIG. 1, and the data storage by the pointer described so far is performed corresponding to the newly expanded memory buffer. In many cases, it is necessary to perform the reading operation smoothly. For example, there is a case where a system including a memory buffer as shown in FIG. 1 is connected to various devices and data is transmitted and received with the various devices without a break. Even in such a case, the data storage / reading operation by the pointer can be smoothly performed in response to the expansion of the memory buffer, that is, the data storage / reading operation can be promptly performed without being aware of the memory expansion work. The buffer memory expansion method for continuing the process is the main part of the present invention.

First, when expanding the number of sides of the buffer memory 10,
When the storage pointer 2 and the read pointer 3 are in the normal order,
It can be expanded immediately, but must not be expanded in the case of inversion order. This is because when the expansion is executed, it is erroneously interpreted that data is stored up to the virtual surfaces 104, 105, ... Which do not store data, by the number of surfaces corresponding to the expanded value indicated by the surface number management data 1. So in the case of inversion order,
It is necessary to prevent the expansion processing of the buffer memory 10 from being executed until the dynamic ordering of the storage pointer 2 and the read pointer 3 on the buffer memory 10 becomes the correct order as the data storage and reading / erasing progress. There is. That is, it is necessary to execute the expansion process after determining whether or not the end surface of the buffer area is empty.

The operator gives the instruction to perform the extension process,
At this time, the number of faces of the buffer memory after the addition is also given. Further, the expansion processing is to store the number of faces of the given buffer memory after the extension in a face number management data part provided in advance, and the value indicated by the face number management data part is set to the storage pointer and the read-out. This is processing for making the maximum value of the width of the value that can be taken by the surface designating unit included in the pointer.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an outline of a buffer memory expansion method by pointer dynamic control according to the present invention. In the figure, when the buffer memory expansion instruction is given by a command given by the operator, the buffer memory expansion registration program is activated and the buffer memory expansion display 4 is set. The setting of the buffer memory extended display 4 can be realized by turning on / off a flag provided in the system, for example. After that, the data storage processing program is started, and the pointer data of the storage pointer 2 and the read pointer 3 is taken out. Next, the order of the storage pointer 2 and the read pointer 3 is determined based on this pointer data, and in the case of the inversion order, expansion is not performed, and the conventional storage location calculation routine (data storage location, that is, storage location) is performed. This is the same as the following), which is a routine for calculating the content indicated by the pointer. In the case of the normal order, it is judged whether or not the buffer memory expansion display 4 is set, and if it is not set, it is taken over to the conventional storage location calculation routine. When the buffer memory expansion display 4 is set, the surface number management data 1 is separately generated based on the surface numerical value designated by the operator, corresponding to the size of the buffer memory expanded by the buffer memory expansion work. Rewrite the contents of. In addition, the storage pointer 2 and the read pointer 3
So that the surface designation section has a value corresponding to the content of the number-of-sheets management data 1, specifically, the maximum width of the values that can be taken by the two-pointer surface designation sections is The extension process is performed to set the value to.

Further, since the expansion processing is completed, the processing for clearing the buffer memory expansion display 4 is also performed. After that, the storage location calculation routine, the data storage routine (actually, a routine for storing data in the buffer memory), and the storage pointer update routine (a routine for updating the contents of the storage pointer by the storage operation) are successively taken over, By the newly set number-of-planes management data 1, storage pointer 2 and read pointer 3, data storage / reading / erasing is repeatedly executed on the newly expanded buffer memory.

As is clear from the above description, according to this embodiment, it is possible to expand (expand) the memory capacity without stopping the operation of the system, and to cope with the new memory capacity after the expansion (expansion). It is needless to say that the data storage / reading process by the pointer can be realized by the buffer memory expansion process using the pointer dynamic control, and the buffer memory can be reduced by using the same means.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, in a system handling a large amount of data, pointer dynamic control is adopted, and the size of the buffer memory suitable for the system scale can be smoothly expanded without stopping the system operation. The operator may add a buffer memory as needed, and since it is not necessary to provide an unnecessary memory from the time of system construction, the economical efficiency is greatly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a data relation diagram for explaining a method of using pointers and buffer memory in a buffer memory expansion method by pointer dynamic control of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a buffer memory expansion method by pointer dynamic control of the present invention. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of the above. 1 ... Number of faces management data, 2 ... Storage pointer, 3 ... Read pointer, 4 ... Buffer memory expansion display, 10 ... Buffer memory, 101-103 ... Face, 104, 105, 106 ... Virtual face

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --- Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Katsunobu Kim 1-6, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Japan Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (72) Inventor Yukio Sano 1-1-6, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Japan Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (56) References JP-A-53-63833 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Storage and reading of data to and from a buffer memory having a plurality of surfaces by both a storage pointer indicating a data storage address to the buffer memory and a read pointer indicating a read address of data from the buffer memory. A method for expanding the buffer memory of an information processing system having a function of performing, wherein both pointers are provided with surface designation information indicating a buffer memory surface and relative address information within the buffer surface designated by the surface designation information. Receiving the given expansion instruction of the buffer memory and the number of sides of the buffer memory after the expansion, receiving the expansion instruction, extracting the contents of both pointers, determining the order of both pointers, storing and reading data If the storage pointer points ahead of the read pointer, The value of the number of surfaces of the given buffer memory after expansion is set to the maximum value width of the values that the storage pointer and the read pointer can have in the surface designation information. , After the read pointer, waits until the storage pointer points ahead of the read pointer, and the value of the number of faces of the given extended buffer memory is A method of expanding a buffer memory by dynamic pointer control, wherein the surface designation information of the storage pointer and the read pointer has a maximum width of possible values.