Managing branch prediction information for different contexts
US10540181B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 25, 2018 |
| Grant date | Jan 21, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 22, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/3867
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Instructions are executed in a pipeline of a processor, where each instruction is associated with a particular context. A first storage stores branch prediction information characterizing results of branch instructions previously executed. The first storage is dynamically partitioned into partitions of one or more entries. Dynamically partitioning includes updating a partition to include an additional entry by associating the additional entry with a particular subset of one or more contexts. A predicted branch result is determined based on at least a portion of the branch prediction information. An actual branch result provided based on an executed branch instruction is used to update the branch prediction information. Providing a predicted branch result for a first branch instruction includes retrieving a first entry from a first partition based at least in part on an identified first subset of one or more contexts associated with the first branch instruction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.