Jump starting prefetch streams across page boundaries
US8140768B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 1, 2008 |
| Grant date | Mar 20, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 19, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/655
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method, processor, and data processing system for enabling utilization of a single prefetch stream to access data across a memory page boundary. A prefetch engine includes an active streams table in which information for one or more scheduled prefetch streams are stored. The prefetch engine also includes a victim table for storing a previously active stream whose next prefetch crosses a memory page boundary. The scheduling logic issues a prefetch request with a real address to fetch data from the lower level memory. Then, responsive to detecting that the real address of the stream's next sequential prefetch crosses the memory page boundary, the prefetch engine determines when the first prefetch stream can continue across the page boundary of the first memory page (via an effective address comparison). The PE automatically reinserts the first prefetch stream into the active stream table to jump start prefetching across the page boundary.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.