Method and apparatus for affinity-guided speculative helper threads in chip multiprocessors
US8078831B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 21, 2010 |
| Grant date | Dec 13, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 1, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F12/0862
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Apparatus, system and methods are provided for performing speculative data prefetching in a chip multiprocessor (CMP). Data is prefetched by a helper thread that runs on one core of the CMP while a main program runs concurrently on another core of the CMP. Data prefetched by the helper thread is provided to the helper core. For one embodiment, the data prefetched by the helper thread is pushed to the main core. It may or may not be provided to the helper core as well. A push of prefetched data to the main core may occur during a broadcast of the data to all cores of an affinity group. For at least one other embodiment, the data prefetched by a helper thread is provided, upon request from the main core, to the main core from the helper core's local cache.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.