Patent · US Expired

Queue resource tracking in a multiprocessor system

US6460133B1 · kind B1 · utility

15Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 20, 1999
Grant dateOct 1, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 20, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F12/0831
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A multiprocessor computer system including a set of processors where each processor in the set includes an execution unit for issuing operations and a processor queue suitable for queuing previously issued and still pending operations. The multiprocessor further includes means for forwarding operations issued by the processor to the processor queue and to an operation block queue of a memory subsystem that is connected to the multiprocessor. The depth of (i.e., the number of entries in) the operation block queue matches the depth of the processor queue. The processor queue, when full, inhibits the processor from issuing additional operations. In this manner, an operation issued by the processor is guaranteed an available entry in the operation block queue of the memory subsystem thereby eliminating the need for operation retry circuitry and protocols such as handshaking. Preferably, each processor queue includes a processor load queue and a processor store queue and the operation block queue includes a load queue and a store queue. In this embodiment, the depth of each of the processor load and store queues matches the depth of the operation block load and store queues respectively…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.