Method and apparatus for performing TLB shutdown operations in a multiprocessor system without invoking interrup handler routines
US5906001A · kind A · utility
44Cited by
6References
16Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 19, 1996 |
| Grant date | May 18, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 19, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/682
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Prior art methods of maintaining coherency among multiple TLBs in a multiprocessor system were time-consuming. One microprocessor halted all other microprocessors in the system, and sent an interrupt to each of the halted microprocessors. Rather than invoking an interrupt handler, the TLB shootdown operation of the present invention provides for a TLB flush transaction communicated between multiple processors on a host bus. One microprocessor issues a TLB flush request on the host bus. The TLB flush request includes a page number. The microprocessors receiving the request invalidate the TLB entry corresponding to the page number.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.