Data flows and their interaction with control flows

摘要

A method and apparatus for processing data by a computer and a method of determining data storage requirements of a computer for earning out a data processing task.

主权项

1. A method of processing data by a computer having processing means and data storage, the method comprising:
providing two or more activity sequences that are to be performed in series by the computer during a run-time, each of the activity sequences requiring input data and producing output data; and determining, during the run-time for each of the activity sequences, locations in the data storage from which the input data is to be read and to which the output data is to be written by the processing means; estimating, during a compilation time, a maximum proportion of the data storage required to store data written to and read from the data storage for one or more of the activity sequences, wherein the estimating is performed prior to the determining; wherein, for each of the activity sequences, recognizing that a part of the data storage that was reserved for the activity sequences is unneeded during the run-time execution of that activity sequences and releasing the reservation of that part; wherein, for at least one of the activity sequences, said locations are determined during the run-time, prior to the commencement of the at least one of the activity sequences and subsequent to the commencement of at least one other of the activity sequences; and wherein said locations in the data storage are grouped to form groups of memory blocks, and the method further comprises powering down one or more groups of unneeded memory blocks.