.. mode: -*- rst -*-

MPS Design Documents
====================
:Author: Richard Brooksby
:Organization: Ravenbrook Limited
:Date: 2002-05-23
:Revision: $Id: //info.ravenbrook.com/project/mps/version/1.113/design/index.txt#1 $
:Readership: developers
:Confidentiality: public
:Type: index
:Copyright: See `Copyright and License`_.


Introduction
------------

This is the catalogue of design documents of the Memory Pool System
product.

.. warning::

   This is not a complete set of design documents for the MPS.  We have
   many hundreds of documents from before the MPS was acquired by
   Ravenbrook on 2001-08-10, many of which contain confidential
   information [RB_2002-06-18]_.  We are sorting through these and will
   include more as time goes on.  We have tried to select the key
   documents for inclusion in the open source release, by including
   those documents referenced by the source code.

   If there is a document you think might exist and want to see it,
   please write to mps-questions@ravenbrook.com and we will try to dig
   it up.


Designs
-------

.. class:: index

======================  ================================================
alloc-frame_            Design of the MPS allocation frame protocol
arena_                  The design of the MPS arena
arenavm_                Virtual memory arena
bt_                     Bit tables
buffer_                 Allocation buffers and allocation points
cbs_                    Design for coalescing block structure
check_                  Design of checking in MPS
class-interface_        Design of the pool class interface
collection_             The collection framework
config_                 The design of MPS configuration
critical-path_          The critical path through the MPS
diag_                   The design of MPS diagnostic feedback
finalize_               Finalization
fix_                    The Design of the Generic Fix Function
freelist_               Free list allocator
guide.hex.trans_        Guide to transliterating the alphabet into hexadecimal
guide.impl.c.format_    Coding standard: conventions for the general format of C source code in the MPS
interface-c_            The design of the Memory Pool System interface to C
io_                     The design of the MPS I/O subsystem
keyword-arguments_      The design of the MPS mechanism for passing arguments by keyword.
lib_                    The design of the Memory Pool System library interface
lock_                   The design of the lock module
locus_                  The design for the locus manager
message_                MPS to client message protocol
message-gc_             Messages sent when garbage collection begins or ends
object-debug_           Debugging Features for Client Objects
pool_                   The design of the pool and pool class mechanisms
poolamc_                The design of the automatic mostly-copying memory pool class
poolams_                The design of the automatic mark-and-sweep pool class
poolawl_                Automatic weak linked
poollo_                 Leaf object pool class
poolmfs_                The design of the manual fixed small memory pool class
poolmrg_                Guardian poolclass
poolmv_                 The design of the manual variable memory pool class
poolmvt_                The design of a new manual-variable memory pool class
poolmvff_               Design of the manually-managed variable-size first-fit pool
prot_                   Generic design of the protection module
protan_                 ANSI implementation of protection module
protli_                 Linux implementation of protection module
protocol_               The design for protocol inheritance in MPS
protsu_                 SunOS 4 implementation of protection module
pthreadext_             Design of the Posix thread extensions for MPS
reservoir_              The design of the low-memory reservoir
ring_                   The design of the ring data structure
root_                   The design of the root manager
scan_                   The design of the generic scanner
seg_                    The design of the MPS segment data structure
shield_                 Shield abstraction: separate control of collector access and mutator (client) access to memory
sig_                    Signatures in the MPS
splay_                  Design of splay trees
sso1al_                 Stack scanner for Digital Unix / Alpha systems
strategy_               Collection strategy
telemetry_              The design of the MPS telemetry mechanism
tests_                  The design of MPS internal tests
thread-manager_         The design of the MPS thread manager
thread-safety_          Thread Safety in the MPS
trace_                  Tracer
type_                   The design of the general MPS types
version-library_        Design of the MPS library version mechanism
version_                Design of MPS software versions
vm_                     The design of the virtual mapping interface
vman_                   ANSI fake VM
vmo1_                   VM Module on DEC Unix
vmso_                   VM Design for Solaris
writef_                 The design of the MPS writef function 
======================  ================================================

.. _alloc-frame: alloc-frame
.. _arena: arena
.. _arenavm: arenavm
.. _bt: bt
.. _buffer: buffer
.. _cbs: cbs
.. _check: check
.. _class-interface: class-interface
.. _collection: collection
.. _config: config
.. _critical-path: critical-path
.. _diag: diag
.. _finalize: finalize
.. _fix: fix
.. _freelist: freelist
.. _guide.hex.trans: guide.hex.trans
.. _guide.impl.c.format: guide.impl.c.format
.. _interface-c: interface-c
.. _io: io
.. _keyword-arguments: keyword-arguments
.. _lib: lib
.. _lock: lock
.. _locus: locus
.. _message: message
.. _message-gc: message-gc
.. _object-debug: object-debug
.. _pool: pool
.. _poolamc: poolamc
.. _poolams: poolams
.. _poolawl: poolawl
.. _poollo: poollo
.. _poolmfs: poolmfs
.. _poolmrg: poolmrg
.. _poolmv: poolmv
.. _poolmvt: poolmvt
.. _poolmvff: poolmvff
.. _prot: prot
.. _protan: protan
.. _protli: protli
.. _protocol: protocol
.. _protsu: protsu
.. _pthreadext: pthreadext
.. _reservoir: reservoir
.. _ring: ring
.. _root: root
.. _scan: scan
.. _seg: seg
.. _shield: shield
.. _sig: sig
.. _splay: splay
.. _sso1al: sso1al
.. _strategy: strategy
.. _telemetry: telemetry
.. _tests: tests
.. _thread-manager: thread-manager
.. _thread-safety: thread-safety
.. _trace: trace
.. _type: type
.. _version-library: version-library
.. _version: version
.. _vm: vm
.. _vman: vman
.. _vmo1: vmo1
.. _vmso: vmso
.. _writef: writef


References
----------

.. [RB_2002-06-18]
   "The Obsolete Memory Management Information System";
   Richard Brooksby;
   Ravenbrook Limited;
   2002-06-18;
   <http://www.ravenbrook.com/project/mps/doc/2002-06-18/obsolete-mminfo>.


Document History
----------------

- 2002-05-23 	RB_ 	Created empty catalogue based on P4DTI design document catalogue.
- 2002-06-07 	RB_ 	Added a bunch of design documents referenced by the source code.
- 2002-06-21 	NB_ 	Remove P4DTI reference, which doesn't fit here. Maybe one day we'll have a corporate design document procedure.
- 2002-06-24 	RB_ 	Added fix, object-debug, thread-manager, and thread-safety.
- 2007-02-08 	RHSK 	Added message-gc and shield.
- 2007-06-12 	RHSK 	Added cstyle.
- 2007-06-28 	RHSK 	Added diag.
- 2008-12-04 	RHSK 	Added tests.
- 2008-12-10 	RHSK 	Correct description of message-gc: gc begin or end.
- 2012-09-14 	RB_ 	Added link to critical-path
- 2013-05-10 	RB_ 	Fixed link to sig and added guide.hex.trans
- 2013-05-22 	GDR_ 	Add link to keyword-arguments.
- 2013-05-25 	RB_ 	Replacing "cstyle" with reworked "guide.impl.c.format".
- 2013-06-07	RB_	Converting to reST_.  Linking to [RB_2002-06-18]_.
- 2014-01-29    RB_     The arena no longer manages generation zonesets.

.. _RB: http://www.ravenbrook.com/consultants/rb
.. _NB: http://www.ravenbrook.com/consultants/nb
.. _GDR: http://www.ravenbrook.com/consultants/gdr
.. _reST: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/rst.html


Copyright and License
---------------------

Copyright © 2002-2014 Ravenbrook Limited. All rights reserved.
<http://www.ravenbrook.com/>. This is an open source license. Contact
Ravenbrook for commercial licensing options.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
met:

#. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

#. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
   documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

#. Redistributions in any form must be accompanied by information on how
   to obtain complete source code for this software and any
   accompanying software that uses this software.  The source code must
   either be included in the distribution or be available for no more than
   the cost of distribution plus a nominal fee, and must be freely
   redistributable under reasonable conditions.  For an executable file,
   complete source code means the source code for all modules it contains.
   It does not include source code for modules or files that typically
   accompany the major components of the operating system on which the
   executable file runs.

**This software is provided by the copyright holders and contributors
"as is" and any express or implied warranties, including, but not
limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a
particular purpose, or non-infringement, are disclaimed.  In no event
shall the copyright holders and contributors be liable for any direct,
indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages
(including, but not limited to, procurement of substitute goods or
services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption)
however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in contract,
strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in
any way out of the use of this software, even if advised of the
possibility of such damage.**
