Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080301398 | LINEAR TO PHYSICAL ADDRESS TRANSLATION WITH SUPPORT FOR PAGE ATTRIBUTES - Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for linear to physical address translation with support for page attributes. In some embodiments, a system receives an instruction to translate a memory pointer to a physical memory address for a memory location. The system may return the physical memory address and one or more page attributes. Other embodiments are described and claimed. | 12-04-2008 |
20090070510 | PROCESSOR SELECTION FOR AN INTERRUPT BASED ON WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT THE INTERRUPT AND ON PRIORITY - In some embodiments, an apparatus includes processors, signal storage circuitry, and processor selection logic. The signal storage circuitry is to hold willingness indication signals each indicative of a willingness level of an associated one of the processors to receive an interrupt and to hold priority indication signals each indicative of a processor priority level of an associated one of the processors, wherein there are multiple possible willingness levels and multiple possible processor priority levels. The processor selection logic is to select one of the processors to receive an interrupt based at least on the willingness indication signals. Other embodiments are described. | 03-12-2009 |
20090070511 | PROCESSOR SELECTION FOR AN INTERRUPT IDENTIFYING A PROCESSOR CLUSTER - In some embodiments, an apparatus includes processor selection logic to receive logical destination identification numbers that are associated with interrupts each having a processor cluster identification number to identify a cluster of processors to which the interrupts are directed. The logical destination identification numbers are each to identify which processors within the identified cluster of processors are available to receive the corresponding one of interrupts. The processor selection logic is to select one of the available processors to receive the interrupt, and the selected one of the available processors is identified through a relative position of a corresponding bit in the logical destination identification numbers. Other embodiments are described. | 03-12-2009 |
20090077361 | DETECTING SPIN LOOPS IN A VIRTUAL MACHINE ENVIRONMENT - Embodiments of apparatuses, methods, and systems detecting spin loops in a virtual machine environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes detection logic and virtualization logic. The detection logic is to detect whether a guest is executing a spin loop. The virtualization logic is to transfer control of the apparatus from the guest to a host in response to the detection logic detecting that the guest is executing the spin loop | 03-19-2009 |
20090106471 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ENUMERATION OF PROCESSORS DURING HOT-PLUG OF A COMPUTE NODE - An apparatus and method for enumeration of processors during hot-plug of a compute node are described. The method includes the enumeration, in response to a hot-plug reset, of one or more processors. The enumeration is provided to a system architecture operating system in which a compute node is hot-plugged. Once enumeration is complete, the compute node is started in response to an operating system activation request. Accordingly, once device enumeration, as well as resource enumeration are complete, the one or more processors of the processor memory node are activated, such that the operating system may begin utilizing the processors of the hot-plugged compute node. | 04-23-2009 |
20090172357 | USING A PROCESSOR IDENTIFICATION INSTRUCTION TO PROVIDE MULTI-LEVEL PROCESSOR TOPOLOGY INFORMATION - Embodiments of an invention for using a processor identification instruction to provide multi-level processor topology information are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes decode logic and control logic. The decode logic is to receive an identification instruction having an associated topological level value. The control logic is to provide, in response to the decode logic receiving the identification instruction, processor identification information corresponding to the associated topological level value. | 07-02-2009 |
20090172423 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND APPARATUS FOR REROUTING INTERRUPTS IN A MULTI-CORE PROCESSOR - A method, system, and apparatus may route an interrupt to a first core of a plurality of cores of a multi-core system. If the first core is in an idle or low power state, or operating in a power state at or below a threshold power state, a core in a least idle state may be found. The interrupt may be rerouted to and processed by the core in the least idle state. Cores in a multi-core system may be rated based on for example, power states or other characteristics, and interrupts may be assigned based on these ratings. Other embodiments are described and claimed. | 07-02-2009 |
20100106875 | Technique for communicating interrupts in a computer system - A technique to enable efficient interrupt communication within a computer system. In one embodiment, an advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC) is interfaced via a set of of bits within an APIC interface register using various interface instructions or operations, without using memory-mapped input/output (MMIO). | 04-29-2010 |
20110078389 | MANAGING AND IMPLEMENTING METADATA IN CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT USING REGISTER EXTENSIONS - A set of default registers of a processor are expanded into metadata registers on the processor of a computer system. The default registers having stored thereon data, while metadata which is related to the data is stored separately on the metadata registers. | 03-31-2011 |
20120124264 | TECHNIQUE FOR COMMUNICATING INTERRUPTS IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - A technique to enable efficient interrupt communication within a computer system. In one embodiment, an advanced programmable interrupt controller (APlC) is interfaced via a set of bits within an APIC interface register using various interface instructions or operations, without using memory-mapped input/output (MMIO). | 05-17-2012 |
20120166767 | SYSTEM, APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR SEGMENT REGISTER READ AND WRITE REGARDLESS OF PRIVILEGE LEVEL - Embodiments of systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing privilege agnostic segment base register read or write instruction are described. An exemplary method may include fetching the privilege agnostic segment base register write instruction, wherein the privilege agnostic write instruction includes a 64-bit data source operand, decoding the fetched privilege agnostic segment base register write instruction, and executing the decoded privilege agnostic segment base register write instruction to write the 64-bit data of the source operand into the segment base register identified by the opcode of the privilege agnostic segment base register write instruction. | 06-28-2012 |
20130031333 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TLB SHOOT-DOWN IN A HETEROGENEOUS COMPUTING SYSTEM SUPPORTING SHARED VIRTUAL MEMORY - Methods and apparatus are disclosed for efficient TLB (translation look-aside buffer) shoot-downs for heterogeneous devices sharing virtual memory in a multi-core system. Embodiments of an apparatus for efficient TLB shoot-downs may include a TLB to store virtual address translation entries, and a memory management unit, coupled with the TLB, to maintain PASID (process address space identifier) state entries corresponding to the virtual address translation entries. The PASID state entries may include an active reference state and a lazy-invalidation state. The memory management unit may perform atomic modification of PASID state entries responsive to receiving PASID state update requests from devices in the multi-core system and read the lazy-invalidation state of the PASID state entries. The memory management unit may send PASID state update responses to the devices to synchronize TLB entries prior to activation responsive to the respective lazy-invalidation state. | 01-31-2013 |
20130042093 | CONTEXT STATE MANAGEMENT FOR PROCESSOR FEATURE SETS - Embodiments of an invention related to context state management based on processor features are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes instruction logic and state management logic. The instruction logic is to receive a state management instruction having a parameter to identify a subset of the features supported by the processor. The state management logic is to perform a state management operation specified by the state management instruction. | 02-14-2013 |
20130219154 | CONTEXT STATE MANAGEMENT FOR PROCESSOR FEATURE SETS - Embodiments of an invention related to context state management based on processor features are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes instruction logic and state management logic. The instruction logic is to receive a state management instruction having a parameter to identify a subset of the features supported by the processor. The state management logic is to perform a state management operation specified by the state management instruction. | 08-22-2013 |
20130339829 | Machine Check Summary Register - In some implementations, a processor may include a machine check architecture having a plurality of error reporting registers able to receive data for machine check errors. A summary register may include a plurality of settable locations that each represents at least one of the error reporting registers. One or more of the settable locations in the summary register may be set to indicate whether one or more of the error reporting registers maintain data for a machine check error. Accordingly, when a machine check error occurs, the summary register may be accessed to identify if any error reporting registers in a processor's view contain valid error data, rather than having to read each of the error reporting registers in the processor's view. | 12-19-2013 |
20140013045 | NON-VOLATILE RAM DISK - A method and system are disclosed. In one embodiment the method includes allocating several memory locations within a phase change memory and switch (PCMS) memory to be utilized as a Random Access Memory (RAM) Disk. The RAM Disk is created for use by a software application running in a computer system. The method also includes mapping at least a portion of the allocated amount of PCMS memory to the software application address space. Finally, the method also grants the software application direct access to at least a portion of the allocated amount of the PCMS memory. | 01-09-2014 |
20140013333 | CONTEXT-STATE MANAGEMENT - Extended features such as registers and functions within processors are made available to operating systems (OS) using an extended-state driver and by modifying instruction set extensions, such as XSAVE. A map-table designates a correspondence between memory locations for storing data relating to extended features not supported by the OS and called by an application. As a result, applications may utilize processor resources which are unsupported by the OS. | 01-09-2014 |
20140136746 | TECHNIQUE FOR COMMUNICATING INTERRUPTS IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - A technique to enable efficient interrupt communication within a computer system. In one embodiment, an advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC) is interfaced via a set of bits within an APIC interface register using various interface instructions or operations, without using memory-mapped input/output (MMIO). | 05-15-2014 |
20140189285 | Apparatus and Method For Tracking TLB Flushes On A Per Thread Basis - A method is described that includes recognizing that TLB information of one or more hardware threads is to be invalidated. The method also includes determining which ones of the one or more hardware threads are in a state in which TLB information is flushed. The method also includes directing a TLB shootdown to those of the or more hardware threads that are in a state in which TLB information is not flushed. | 07-03-2014 |
20140281437 | Robust and High Performance Instructions for System Call - Robust system call and system return instructions are executed by a processor to transfer control between a requester and an operating system kernel. The processor includes execution circuitry and registers that store pointers to data structures in memory. The execution circuitry receives a system call instruction from a requester to transfer control from a first privilege level of the requester to a second privilege level of an operating system kernel. In response, the execution circuitry swaps the data structures that are pointed to by the registers between the requester and the operating system kernel in one atomic transition. | 09-18-2014 |
20140297938 | NON-VOLATILE RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (NVRAM) AS A REPLACEMENT FOR TRADITIONAL MASS STORAGE - A non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) is used in a computer system to perform multiple roles in a platform storage hierarchy, specifically, to replace traditional mass storage that is accessible by an I/O. The computer system includes a processor to execute software and a memory coupled to the processor. At least a portion of the memory comprises a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) that is byte-rewritable and byte-erasable by the processor. The system further comprises a memory controller coupled to the NVRAM to perform a memory access operation to access the NVRAM in response to a request from the software for access to a mass storage. | 10-02-2014 |
20140304488 | LINEAR TO PHYSICAL ADDRESS TRANSLATION WITH SUPPORT FOR PAGE ATTRIBUTES - Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for linear to physical address translation with support for page attributes. In some embodiments, a system receives an instruction to translate a memory pointer to a physical memory address for a memory location. The system may return the physical memory address and one or more page attributes. Other embodiments are described and claimed. | 10-09-2014 |
20140351553 | LINEAR TO PHYSICAL ADDRESS TRANSLATION WITH SUPPORT FOR PAGE ATTRIBUTES - Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for linear to physical address translation with support for page attributes. In some embodiments, a system receives an instruction to translate a memory pointer to a physical memory address for a memory location. The system may return the physical memory address and one or more page attributes. Other embodiments are described and claimed. | 11-27-2014 |
20140351554 | LINEAR TO PHYSICAL ADDRESS TRANSLATION WITH SUPPORT FOR PAGE ATTRIBUTES - Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for linear to physical address translation with support for page attributes. In some embodiments, a system receives an instruction to translate a memory pointer to a physical memory address for a memory location. The system may return the physical memory address and one or more page attributes. Other embodiments are described and claimed. | 11-27-2014 |
20140365742 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PREVENTING UNAUTHORIZED STACK PIVOTING - An example processing system may comprise: a lower stack bound register configured to store a first memory address, the first memory address identifying a lower bound of a memory addressable via a stack segment; an upper stack bound register configured to store a second memory address, the second memory address identifying an upper bound of the memory addressable via the stack segment; and a stack bounds checking logic configured to detect unauthorized stack pivoting, by comparing a memory address being accessed via the stack segment with at least one of the first memory address and the second memory address. | 12-11-2014 |