Operational efficiency of virtual TLBs
US8615643B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 5, 2006 |
| Grant date | Dec 24, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 20, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/654
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Various mechanisms are disclosed for improving the operational efficiency of a virtual translation look-aside buffer (TLB) in a virtual machine environment. For example, one mechanism fills in entries in a shadow page table (SPT) and additionally, speculatively fills in other entries in the SPT based on various heuristics. Another mechanism allows virtual TLBs (translation look-aside buffers) to cache partial walks in a guest page table tree. Still another mechanism allows for dynamic resizing of the virtual TLB to optimize for run-time characteristics of active workloads. Still another mechanism allows virtual machine monitors (VMMs) to support legacy and enlightened modes of virtual TLB operation. Finally, another mechanism allows the VMM to remove only the stale entries in SPTs when linking or switching address spaces. All these mechanisms, together or in part, increase the operational efficiency of the virtual TLB.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.