Memory management of data processing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016357572-A1
Application number	US-201514973371-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for memory management of a data processing system are described herein. According to one embodiment, a memory usage monitor executed by a processor of a data processing system monitors memory usages of groups of programs running within a memory of the data processing system. In response to determining that a first memory usage of a first group of the programs exceeds a first predetermined threshold, a user level reboot is performed in which one or more applications running within a user space of an operating system of the data processing system are terminated and relaunched. In response to determining that a second memory usage of a second group of the programs exceeds a second predetermined threshold, a system level reboot is performed in which one or more system components running within a kernel space of the operating system are terminated and relaunched.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for memory management, the method comprising:
monitoring, by a memory usage monitor executed by a processor of a data processing system, memory usages of a plurality of groups of a plurality of programs running within a memory of the data processing system; in response to determining that a first memory usage of a first group of the programs exceeds a first predetermined threshold, performing a user level reboot in which one or more applications running within a user space of an operating system of the data processing system are terminated and relaunched; and in response to determining that a second memory usage of a second group of the programs exceeds a second predetermined threshold, performing a system level reboot in which one or more system components running within a kernel space of the operating system are terminated and relaunched.

2 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
prior to performing a user level reboot or a system level reboot, generating a report having information describing overall memory usage of the programs; and transmitting the report to a predetermined destination for a diagnosis purpose.

3 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
after the user level reboot, examining a kernel memory usage of the one or more system components to determine whether the kernel memory usage exceeds a third predetermined threshold; and performing the system level reboot in response to determining that the kernel memory usage exceeding the third predetermined threshold after the user space reboot.

4 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein each of the programs is one of an application, a daemon process, and a kernel component of the operating system.

5 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises monitoring user activities of a user operating the data processing system, wherein the user space reboot or the system level reboot is performed only when no user activity with the data processing system is detected for a predetermined period of time.

6 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
monitoring user activities of a user operating the data processing system; monitoring a memory usage of an application launching daemon; and terminating the application launching daemon if the memory usage of the application launching daemon exceeds a third predetermined threshold and no user activity is detected for a predetermined period of time.

7 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
examining a flag stored at a predetermined storage location that has been configured in the data processing system; and notifying the user regarding the user space reboot or the system level reboot in response to determining that the flag has been set to a predetermined value.

8 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the user level reboot is performed if the first memory usage of all the programs in the first group exceeds the first predetermined threshold, even if an individual memory usage of each of the programs in the first group is below a third predetermined threshold associated with each program.

9 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the system level reboot is performed if the second memory usage of all the programs in the second group exceeds the second predetermined threshold, even if an individual memory usage of each of the programs in the second group is below a third predetermined threshold associated with each program.

10 . A computer-implemented method for memory management, comprising:
monitoring, by a memory usage monitor executed by a processor of a data processing system, memory usages of a plurality of groups of a plurality of programs running within a memory of the data processing system; in response to determining that a first memory usage of a first group of the programs exceeds a first predetermined threshold, performing a user level reboot in which one or more applications running within a user space of an operating system of the data processing system are terminated and relaunched; and in response to determining that a second memory usage of a second group of the programs exceeds a second predetermined threshold, performing a system level reboot in which one or more system components running within a kernel space of the operating system are terminated and relaunched.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
prior to performing a user level reboot or a system level reboot, generating a report having information describing overall memory usage of the programs; and transmitting the report to a predetermined destination for a diagnosis purpose.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
after the user level reboot, examining a kernel memory usage of the one or more system components to determine whether the kernel memory usage exceeds a third predetermined threshold; and performing the system level reboot in response to determining that the kernel memory usage exceeding the third predetermined threshold after the user space reboot.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the programs is one of an application, a daemon process, and a kernel component of the operating system.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises monitoring user activities of a user operating the data processing system, wherein the user space reboot or the system level reboot is performed only when no user activity with the data processing system is detected for a predetermined period of time.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
monitoring user activities of a user operating the data processing system; monitoring a memory usage of an application launching daemon; and terminating the application launching daemon if the memory usage of the application launching daemon exceeds a third predetermined threshold and no user activity is detected for a predetermined period of time.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
examining a flag stored at a predetermined storage location that has been configured in the data processing system; and notifying the user regarding the user space reboot or the system level reboot in response to determining that the flag has been set to a predetermined value.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the user level reboot is performed if the first memory usage of all the programs in the first group exceeds the first predetermined threshold, even if an individual memory usage of each of the programs in the first group is below a third predetermined threshold associated with each program.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the system level reboot is performed if the second memory usage of all the programs in the second group exceeds the second predetermined threshold, even if an individual memory usage of each of the programs in the second group is below a third predetermined threshold associated with each program.

19 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for memory management, the

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Myrick Andrew D
• Chan David M
• Reeves Jonathan R
• Curless Jeffrey D
• Desai Lionel D
• Mcilree James C
• Crippes Karen A
• Eqbal Rasha

Classifications

• G06F9/4401

  Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F9/442

  Shutdown · CPC title

• G06F11/1438

  Restarting or rejuvenating · CPC title

• G06F9/5016

  the resource being the memory · CPC title

• G06F11/3037

  where the computing system component is a memory, e.g. virtual memory, cache (accessing, addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/00; checking stores for correct operation G11C29/00) · CPC title