A fast translation method for paging on top of segmentation

摘要

A description is presented of a fast, one-step translation method that implements paging on top of segmentation. This method translates a virtual address into a physical address, performing both the segmentation and paging translations, with a single TLB (translation lookaside buffer) read and a short add. Previous methods performed this translation in two steps and required two TLB reads and a long add. Using the fast method, the fine-grain protection and relocation of segmentation combined with paging can be provided with delay and complexity comparable to paging-only systems. This method allows small segments, particularly important in object-oriented programming systems, to be managed efficiently.