Programmable agent and method for managing prefetch queues
US6470427B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 9, 1999 |
| Grant date | Oct 22, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 9, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/6028
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A programmable agent and method for managing prefetch queues provide dynamically configurable handling of priorities in a prefetching subsystem for providing look-ahead memory loads in a computer system. When it's queues are at capacity an agent handling prefetches from memory either ignores new requests, forces the new requests to retry or cancels a pending request in order to perform the new request. The behavior can be adjusted under program control by programming a register, or the control may be coupled to a load pattern analyzer. In addition, the behavior with respect to new requests can be set to different types depending on a phase of a pending request.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.