Target-frequency based indirect jump prediction for high-performance processors
US7870371B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 17, 2007 |
| Grant date | Jan 11, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 28, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/3844
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A frequency-based prediction of indirect jumps executing in a computing environment is provided. Illustratively, a computing environment comprises a prediction engine that processes data representative of indirect jumps performed by the exemplary computing environment according to a selected frequency-based prediction paradigm. Operatively, the exemplary prediction engine can keep track of targets, in a table, taken for each indirect jump and program context (e.g., branch history and/or path information) of an exemplary computing program. Further, the prediction engine can also store a frequency counter associated with each target in the exemplary table. Illustratively, the frequency counter can record the number of times a target was taken in the recent past executions of an observed one or more indirect jump. The prediction engine can supply the target address of an indirect jump based on the values of the frequency counters of each stored target address.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.