Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Data compression with inline compression metadata

Abstract:

Techniques for handling data compression in which metadata that indicates which portions of data are compressed are which portions of data are not compressed are disclosed. Segments of a buffer referred to as block groups store compressed blocks of data along with uncompressed blocks of data and hash blocks. If a block group includes a block that is a hash of another block in the block group, then the other block is considered to be compressed. If the block group does not include a block that is a hash of another block in the block group, then the blocks in the block group are uncompressed. The hash function to generate the hash is selected to prevent "collisions," which occur when the data being stored in the buffer is such that it is possible for a hash block and an uncompressed block to be the same.