Static information storage and retrieval – Addressing – Byte or page addressing
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-23
2004-11-16
Dinh, Son T. (Department: 2824)
Static information storage and retrieval
Addressing
Byte or page addressing
C365S230030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06819627
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a method for reading and a method for storing data in accordance with the precharacterizing part of claims
1
and
2
and claims
11
and
12
, and also to an apparatus for compressing data and decompressing data in accordance with the precharacterizing part of claims
21
and
28
.
BACKGROUND ART
In modern computer systems, ever more complicated and more powerful applications demand ever more storage space on the bulk memories associated with computer systems. In this context, these bulk memories need to permit fastest possible data access in order not to act as a bottleneck with regard to the performance of the computer system at this point. With a very high data storage requirement, the use of bulk memories permitting random access is therefore desirable.
However, the available capacities of the bulk memories in an ordinary computer system are limited, which means that applications or data bases requiring a lot of memory need to be relocated with some complexity in order to cover the continually rising storage space requirement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide methods for storing and methods for reading data and also an apparatus for compressing data and an apparatus for decompressing data, in which the conventional bulk memories and computer systems are used, but where much larger volumes of data can be stored.
This object is achieved by a method for storing data in accordance with claim
1
and in accordance with claim
2
, by a method for reading data in accordance with claim
11
and in accordance with claim
12
, and by an apparatus for compressing data in accordance with claim
21
and an apparatus for decompressing data in accordance with claim
28
.
The method for storing data on a bulk memory using a computer system, where the computer system supplies the data to the bulk memory for storage on the basis of the rules of a file system, where the bulk memory is of the random access type, in which the data are organized in data blocks, where the data blocks are provided for storage on the bulk memory on the basis of the rules of a file system on a computer system supplying the data, where the data blocks contain organization information for managing the data blocks and contain the user information which is to be stored, where cohesive user information areas can be distributed over a plurality of data blocks which are then concatenated to one another using their organization information, provides, in accordance with the invention, that the cohesive user information in one or more data blocks is separated from the organization information and is continuously compiled and, in a subsequent step, compressed using a data compression method, whereupon the compressed volume of data obtained in this manner is split into individual compressed-data packets preselected in terms of their data length, where the compressed-data packets are stored in compressed-data blocks with organization information for management on the bulk memory, organized on the basis of the rules of the file system on the computer system delivering the data, where a plurality of related compressed-data blocks are stored on the bulk memory with cohesive compressed data, distributed over a plurality of compressed-data blocks concatenated to one another using their organization information.
Another method for storing data on a bulk memory using a computer system, which computer system supplies the data to the bulk memory for storage on the basis of the rules of a file system, where the bulk memory is of the random access type, in which the data are organized in data blocks, where the data blocks are provided for storage on the bulk memory on the basis of the rules of a file system on a computer system delivering the data, where the data blocks contain organization information for managing the data blocks and contain the user information which is to be stored, where cohesive user information areas can be distributed over a plurality of data blocks which are then concatenated to one another using their organization information, provides, in accordance with the invention, that the data blocks, which are possibly concatenated to one another using their organization information, are continuously compressed using a data compression method to form a compressed volume of data on the basis of the concatenation before they are stored on the bulk memory, and the compressed volume of data obtained in this manner is split into individual compressed-data packets preselected in terms of their data length, where the compressed-data packets are stored on the bulk memory in compressed-data blocks with organization information for management, where a plurality of related compressed-data blocks are stored on the bulk memory with cohesive Compressed data, distributed over a plurality of compressed-data blocks concatenated to one another using their organization information.
The storage methods illustrated allow hitherto ordinary computer systems which are in use and their bulk memories to continue to be used. In this case, however, the compression achieves a much greater packing density for the data, which further extends the scope of application of the existing computer systems.
In accordance with one preferred method step, the data compression method used is a Huffmann, 1-Byterun, LhA, ZIP or RAR method. The use of compression algorithms which are already known makes the method transparent and opens it to a large number of applications and operating systems on computer installations.
In one advantageous method step, the data compression method is stored in a programmable program store provided for this purpose. This means that one and the same program store can also be used to retrieve the method upon decompression. In addition, the respective method to be used can be replaced flexibly.
In accordance with one advantageous method step, the data blocks provided by the computer system for storage on the bulk memory are first buffer-stored in a write memory. This means that timing problems with the computer installation requesting the data are prevented.
In accordance with one refinement of the method, the organization information is start, end and concatenation information (block pointer), particularly arranged at the start and end of a data block.
In one advantageous method step, the compressed-data blocks have the same structure as the data blocks. This produces the actual data structure on the bulk memory, which means that the step of decompression can also take place in the computer system.
In one particularly advantageous and therefore preferred method step, the bulk memory has a table holding information about the bulk memory's utilization by data blocks, this table being modified following use of the data compression method and storing on the [lacuna] data blocks with the compressed user information, or the compressed-data blocks [lacuna] the bulk memory being modified in line with their new length and/or number and/or memory position.
The inventive method for reading data from a bulk memory using a computer system, which computer system accesses the stored data in the bulk memory on the basis of the rules of a file system, which bulk memory is of the random access type, in which the data are organized in data blocks, where the data blocks are stored on the bulk memory on the basis of the rules of the file system on a computer system requesting the data, where the data blocks contain organization information, for managing the data blocks and contain the user information which is to be read, where cohesive user information areas can be distributed over a plurality of data blocks which are then concatenated to one another using their organization information, provides that the data blocks are read from the bulk memory, whereupon the cohesive user information in one or more data blocks is separated from the organization information and is continuously stored as related in a buffer store and, in a subsequent step, decompressed
Bänisch Andreas
Kling Sabine
Obermaier Werner
Dinh Son T.
Infineon - Technologies AG
Jenkins & Wilson & Taylor, P.A.
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