Abstract:
A method is provided for accessing, by an application running on a first processor, operating system services from an operating system running on a second processor by performing an assisted call. A data plane processor first constructs a parameter area based on the input and output parameters for the function that requires control processor assistance. The current values for the input parameters are copied into the parameter area. An assisted call message is generated based on a combination of a pointer to the parameter area and a specific library function opcode for the library function that is being called. The assisted call message is placed into the processor's stack immediately following a stop-and-signal instruction. The control plane processor is signaled to perform the library function corresponding to the opcode on behalf of the data plane processor by executing a stop and signal instruction.
Abstract:
A mechanism is provided for accessing, by an application running on a first processor, operating system services from an operating system running on a second processor by performing an assisted call. A data plane processor first constructs a parameter area based on the input and output parameters for the function that requires control processor assistance. The current values for the input parameters are copied into the parameter area. An assisted call message is generated based on a combination of a pointer to the parameter area and a specific library function opcode for the library function that is being called. The assisted call message is placed into the processor's stack immediately following a stop-and-signal instruction. The control plane processor is signaled to perform the library function corresponding to the opcode on behalf of the data plane processor by executing a stop and signal instruction.
Abstract:
A mechanism is provided for generating event notifications for offline characters from within a persistent world online game. A player agent for an offline player runs in a secondary partition in a video game console while a primary application runs in a main partition. The offline player agent includes an event monitor that monitors for events that occur in a persistent virtual world maintained by a game server. When a game event occurs that triggers an offline player rule, the player agent composes an event notification message and presents the message to the offline player through speech or through an interface within the primary application. Event notification messages may include images, voice (text-to-speech), sound, or video.
Abstract:
Mechanisms are provided for arranging binary code to reduce instruction cache conflict misses. These mechanisms generate a call graph of a portion of code. Nodes and edges in the call graph are weighted to generate a weighted call graph. The weighted call graph is then partitioned according to the weights, affinities between nodes of the call graph, and the size of cache lines in an instruction cache of the data processing system, so that binary code associated with one or more subsets of nodes in the call graph are combined into individual cache lines based on the partitioning. The binary code corresponding to the partitioned call graph is then output for execution in a computing device.
Abstract:
Mechanisms for performing data parallel function calls in code during runtime are provided. These mechanisms may operate to execute, in the processor, a portion of code having a data parallel function call to a target portion of code. The mechanisms may further operate to determine, at runtime by the processor, whether the target portion of code is a data parallel portion of code or a scalar portion of code and determine whether the calling code is data parallel code or scalar code. Moreover, the mechanisms may operate to execute the target portion of code based on the determination of whether the target portion of code is a data parallel portion of code or a scalar portion of code, and the determination of whether the calling code is data parallel code or scalar code.
Abstract:
Mechanisms for performing data parallel function calls in code during runtime are provided. These mechanisms may operate to execute, in the processor, a portion of code having a data parallel function call to a target portion of code. The mechanisms may further operate to determine, at runtime by the processor, whether the target portion of code is a data parallel portion of code or a scalar portion of code and determine whether the calling code is data parallel code or scalar code. Moreover, the mechanisms may operate to execute the target portion of code based on the determination of whether the target portion of code is a data parallel portion of code or a scalar portion of code, and the determination of whether the calling code is data parallel code or scalar code.
Abstract:
Mechanisms are provided for dynamically rewriting branch instructions in a portion of code. The mechanisms execute a branch instruction in the portion of code. The mechanisms determine if a target instruction of the branch instruction, to which the branch instruction branches, is present in an instruction cache associated with the processor. Moreover, the mechanisms directly branch execution of the portion of code to the target instruction in the instruction cache, without intervention from an instruction cache runtime system, in response to a determination that the target instruction is present in the instruction cache. In addition, the mechanisms redirect execution of the portion of code to the instruction cache runtime system in response to a determination that the target instruction cannot be determined to be present in the instruction cache.
Abstract:
A mechanism is provided for configuring offline player behavior within a persistent world game. A player agent for an offline player includes an event monitor that monitors for events that occur in a persistent virtual world maintained by a game server. When a game event occurs that triggers an offline player rule, the player agent may generate game events on behalf of the offline player. The player agent may also receive messages from an offline player. The messages may include commands for adding, removing, or editing offline player rules. A message may also include a command to view a list of rules or fire a one-time execution of a rule upon receipt. Therefore, a player may contribute to the persistent virtual world even when offline by sending commands using a messaging client or Web browser.
Abstract:
Mechanisms are provided for evicting cache lines from an instruction cache of the data processing system. The mechanisms store, for a portion of code in a current cache line, a linked list of call sites that directly or indirectly target the portion of code in the current cache line. A determination is made as to whether the current cache line is to be evicted from the instruction cache. The linked list of call sites is processed to identify one or more rewritten branch instructions having associated branch stubs, that either directly or indirectly target the portion of code in the current cache line. In addition, the one or more rewritten branch instructions are rewritten to restore the one or more rewritten branch instructions to an original state based on information in the associated branch stubs.
Abstract:
A method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for logical partitioning and virtualization in heterogeneous computer architecture. In one illustrative embodiment, a portion of a first set of processors of a first type is allocated to a partition in a heterogeneous logically partitioned system and a portion of a second set of processors of a second type is allocated to the partition.