Abstract:
A method, apparatus, and system are provided for performing compare and exchange operations using a sleep-wakeup mechanism. According to one embodiment, an instruction at a processor is executed to help acquire a lock on behalf of the processor. If the lock is unavailable to be acquired by the processor, the instruction is put to sleep until an event has occurred.
Abstract:
Techniques for vector completion mask (VCM) handling are provided. A data structure includes a mask field for each operand of a particular operation. A processor attempts to execute the operation with multiple operands, which are identified in the data structure by the mask fields. If operands are successfully retrieved for execution with the operation, then the corresponding mask field within the data structure is cleared. The processor can reset if any field remains set within the data structure and can re-process the operation with operands that were not previously handled with the operation.
Abstract:
Techniques for vector completion mask (VCM) handling are provided. A data structure includes a mask field for each operand of a particular operation. A processor attempts to execute the operation with multiple operands, which are identified in the data structure by the mask fields. If operands are successfully retrieved for execution with the operation, then the corresponding mask field within the data structure is cleared. The processor can reset if any field remains set within the data structure and can re-process the operation with operands that were not previously handled with the operation.
Abstract:
A processor may include an address monitor table and an atomic update table to support speculative threading. The processor may also include one or more registers to maintain state associated with execution of speculative threads. The processor may support one or more of the following primitives: an instruction to write to a register of the state, an instruction to trigger the committing of buffered memory updates, an instruction to read the a status register of the state, and/or an instruction to clear one of the state bits associated with trap/exception/interrupt handling. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving a request from a user-level agent for programming of a user-level privilege for at least one architectural resource of an application-managed sequencer (AMS) and programming the user-level privilege for the at least one architectural resource using an operating system-managed sequencer (OMS) coupled to the AMS. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a processor having multiple cores and an uncore. The uncore may include a microcode read only memory to store microcode to be executed in the cores (that themselves do not include such memory). The cores can include a microcode sequencer to sequence a plurality of micro-instructions (uops) of microcode that corresponds to a macro-instruction to be executed in an execution unit of the corresponding core. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
Abstract:
A technique for using memory attributes to relay information to a program or other agent. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to using memory attribute bits to check various memory properties in an efficient manner.
Abstract:
Embodiments of an apparatus, system and method enhance the efficiency of processor resource utilization during instruction prefetching via one or more speculative threads. Renamer logic and a map table are utilized to perform filtering of instructions in a speculative thread instruction stream. The map table includes a yes-a-thing bit to indicate whether the associated physical register's content reflects the value that would be computed by the main thread. A thread progress beacon table is utilized to track relative progress of a main thread and a speculative helper thread. Based upon information in the thread progress beacon table, the main thread may effect termination of a helper thread that is not likely to provide a performance benefit for the main thread.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving a cache access request for data present in a lower-level cache line of a lower-level cache, and sending recency information regarding the lower-level cache line to a higher-level cache. The higher-level cache may be inclusive with the lower-level cache and may update age data associated with the cache line, thus reducing the likelihood of eviction of the cache line. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
Abstract:
An article comprising an instruction stored on a storage medium. The instruction includes opcode field storing an opcode signal and an operand field storing an operand signal. The operand is compressed prior to being stored in the operand field.