Automatic segmentation of cyclic program structures based on connectivity and processor timing

• Published in: Communications of the ACM Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 3 - 6
• Main Author: Lowe, Thomas C.
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY, USA ACM 01.01.1970
• Subjects: Computer systems organization; Computer systems organization / Architectures; Computer systems organization / Architectures / Parallel architectures; Computer systems organization / Architectures / Parallel architectures / Multiple instruction, multiple data; Software and its engineering; Software and its engineering / Software notations and tools; Software and its engineering / Software notations and tools / Compilers; Software and its engineering / Software notations and tools / General programming languages; Software and its engineering / Software notations and tools / General programming languages / Language features; Software and its engineering / Software organization and properties; Software and its engineering / Software organization and properties / Contextual software domains; Software and its engineering / Software organization and properties / Contextual software domains / Operating systems; Software and its engineering / Software organization and properties / Contextual software domains / Operating systems / Process management; Theory of computation; loaders; program connectivity; assemblers; multiprogramming; loops; paging; time-sharing; automatic segmentation; compilers; cyclic program structures
• ISSN: 0001-0782; 1557-7317; 1557-7317
• DOI: 10.1145/361953.361957

Time-shared, multiprogrammed, and overlayed batch systems frequently require segmentation of computer programs into discrete portions. These program portions are transferred between executable and peripheral storage whenever necessary; segmentation of programs in a manner that reduces the frequency of such transfers is the subject of this paper. Segmentation techniques proposed by C. V. Ramamoorthy are subject to limitations that arise when the preferred segment size is not compatible with the physical restrictions imposed by the available computing equipment. A generalization of Ramamoorthy's suggestions is made in order to allow their application when circumstances are other than ideal.