NVIDIA Corporation
MEMORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Abstract:

A computer system manages the allocation of memory to an application program using a dependency tree. The dependency tree informs a memory manager of data inputs, data outputs, and intermediate values associated with execution of the application program. The memory manager allocates a single heap structure within a physical memory. Data associated with each node of the dependency tree is allocated to the heap structure so that data input values are allocated in a contiguous block, and intermediate values are allocated separately. In various examples, as execution of the application program proceeds, the separation of intermediate values from non-intermediate values within the heap reduces memory fragmentation providing improved performance of the computer system as a whole.