Method and apparatus including heuristic for sharing TLB entries
US7165164B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 24, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jan 16, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 20, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/656
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A sharing mechanism is herein disclosed for multiple logical processors using a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) to translate virtual addresses into physical addresses. The mechanism supports sharing of TLB entries among logical processors, which may access address spaces in common. The mechanism further supports private TLB entries among logical processors, which may each access a different physical address through identical virtual addresses. The sharing mechanism provides for installation and updating of TLB entries as private entries or as shared entries transparently, without requiring special operating system support or modifications. Sharability of virtual address translations by logical processors may be determined by comparing page table physical base addresses of the logic processors. Using the disclosed sharing mechanism, fast and efficient virtual address translation is provided without requiring more expensive functional redundancy.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.