Programmable hardware event monitoring method
US6134676A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 30, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 17, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 30, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2201/885
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for monitoring hardware events in a computer system implements a hardware event monitor of control registers and has programmable generic fields which can be internally or externally programmed for monitoring events ranging from simple operations to complex event sequences. Using programmed criteria incorporated into the hardware event monitor to events within said computer system are monitored by initiating successive compares of programmed criteria with processing events. The hardware event monitor can trigger external actions upon successful detection of compares indicating that all criteria programmed into the hardware event monitor have been achieved. None of the bits within the Control Registers are mutually exclusive which allows multiple scenarios to be programmed. The hardware event monitor and system trace controls act as a single unified entity with remote programming of said hardware event monitor and trace controls over a UBUS to permit capturing and logging problem debugging and instrumentation data for use in remote system administration, technical support assistance, field and customer engineering applications, and performance analysis, and hardware error i…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.