Patents by Inventor Bradford M. Beckmann

Bradford M. Beckmann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20150046652
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system is described that enforces a release consistency with special accesses sequentially consistent (RCsc) memory model and executes release synchronization instructions such as a StRel event without tracking an outstanding store event through a memory hierarchy, while efficiently using bandwidth resources. What is also described is the decoupling of a store event from an ordering of the store event with respect to a RCsc memory model. The description also includes a set of hierarchical read/write combining buffers that coalesce stores from different parts of the system. In addition, a pool component maintains partial order of received store events and release synchronization events to avoid content addressable memory (CAM) structures, full cache flushes, as well as direct write-throughs to memory. The approach improves the performance of both global and local synchronization events since a store event may not need to reach main memory to complete.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Blake A. HECHTMAN, Bradford M. Beckmann
  • Publication number: 20140337587
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system is described that determines the correctness of using memory operations in a computing device with heterogeneous computer components. Embodiments include an optimizer based on the characteristics of a Sequential Consistency for Heterogeneous-Race-Free (SC for HRF) model that analyzes a program and determines the correctness of the ordering of events in the program. HRF models include combinations of the properties: scope order, scope inclusion, and scope transitivity. The optimizer can determine when a program is heterogeneous-race-free in accordance with an SC for HRF memory consistency model . For example, the optimizer can analyze a portion of program code, respect the properties of the SC for HRF model, and determine whether a value produced by a store memory event will be a candidate for a value observed by a load memory event. In addition, the optimizer can determine whether reordering of events is possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Derek R. HOWER, Mark D. Hill, David Wood, Steven K. Reinhardt, Benedict R. Gaster, Blake A. Hechtman, Bradford M. Beckmann
  • Publication number: 20140304474
    Abstract: The described embodiments comprise a computing device with a first processor core and a second processor core. In some embodiments, during operations, the first processor core receives, from the second processor core, an indication of a memory location and a flag. The first processor core then stores the flag in a first cache line in a cache in the first processor core and stores the indication of the memory location separately in a second cache line in the cache. Upon encountering a predetermined result when evaluating a condition for the indicated memory location, the first processor core updates the flag in the first cache line. Based on the update of the flag, the first processor core causes the second processor core to perform an operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven K. Reinhardt, Marc S. Orr, Bradford M. Beckmann
  • Publication number: 20140281234
    Abstract: Apparatus, computer readable medium, and method of servicing memory requests are presented. A read request for a memory block from a requester processing having a processor type may be serviced by providing exclusive access to the requested memory block to the requester processor when the requested memory block was modified a last time it was accessed by a previous requester processor having a same processor type as the processor type of the requester processor. Exclusive access to the requested memory block may be provided to the requester processor based on whether the requested memory block was modified by a previous processor having a same type as the requester processor at least once in the last several times the memory block was in a cache of the previous processor. Exclusive access to the requested memory block may be provided to the requester processor based on a region of the memory block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Jason G. Power, Bradford M. Beckmann, Steven K. Reinhardt
  • Publication number: 20140250312
    Abstract: The described embodiments comprise a first hardware context. The first hardware context receives, from a second hardware context, an indication of a memory location and a condition to be met by the memory location. The first hardware context then sends a signal to the second hardware context when the memory location meets the condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven K. Reinhardt, Marc S. Orr, Bradford M. Beckmann
  • Publication number: 20140250442
    Abstract: The described embodiments include a computing device. In these embodiments, an entity in the computing device receives an identification of a memory location and a condition to be met by a value in the memory location. Upon a predetermined event occurring, the entity causes an operation to be performed when the value in the memory location meets the condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven K. Reinhardt, Marc S. Orr, Bradford M. Beckmann
  • Publication number: 20140223445
    Abstract: The described embodiments comprise a selection mechanism that selects a resource from a set of resources in a computing device for performing an operation. In some embodiments, the selection mechanism is configured to perform a lookup in a table selected from a set of tables to identify a resource from the set of resources. When the identified resource is not available for performing the operation and until a resource is selected for performing the operation, the selection mechanism is configured to identify a next resource in the table and select the next resource for performing the operation when the next resource is available for performing the operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Bradford M. Beckmann, Mithuna S. Thottethodi, James M. O'Connor, Mauricio Breternitz, Lisa R. Hsu, Gabriel H. Loh, Yasuko Eckert
  • Publication number: 20140181427
    Abstract: Some die-stacked memories will contain a logic layer in addition to one or more layers of DRAM (or other memory technology). This logic layer may be a discrete logic die or logic on a silicon interposer associated with a stack of memory dies. Additional circuitry/functionality is placed on the logic layer to implement functionality to perform various data movement and address calculation operations. This functionality would allow compound memory operations—a single request communicated to the memory that characterizes the accesses and movement of many data items. This eliminates the performance and power overheads associated with communicating address and control information on a fine-grain, per-data-item basis from a host processor (or other device) to the memory. This approach also provides better visibility of macro-level memory access patterns to the memory system and may enable additional optimizations in scheduling memory accesses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Nuwan S. JAYASENA, James M. O'Connor, Gabriel H. Loh, Michael J. Schulte, Bradford M. Beckmann, Michael Ignatowski
  • Publication number: 20140181453
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for a memory device system. One or more memory dies and at least one logic die are disposed in a package and communicatively coupled. The logic die comprises a processing device configurable to manage virtual memory and operate in an operating mode. The operating mode is selected from a set of operating modes comprising a slave operating mode and a host operating mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Nuwan S. JAYASENA, Gabriel H. LOH, Bradford M. BECKMANN, James M. O'CONNOR, Lisa R. HSU
  • Publication number: 20140181428
    Abstract: A die-stacked memory device implements an integrated QoS manager to provide centralized QoS functionality in furtherance of one or more specified QoS objectives for the sharing of the memory resources by other components of the processing system. The die-stacked memory device includes a set of one or more stacked memory dies and one or more logic dies. The logic dies implement hardware logic for a memory controller and the QoS manager. The memory controller is coupleable to one or more devices external to the set of one or more stacked memory dies and operates to service memory access requests from the one or more external devices. The QoS manager comprises logic to perform operations in furtherance of one or more QoS objectives, which may be specified by a user, by an operating system, hypervisor, job management software, or other application being executed, or specified via hardcoded logic or firmware.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Lisa R. Hsu, Gabriel H. Loh, Bradford M. Beckmann, Michael Ignatowski
  • Publication number: 20140181460
    Abstract: A data processing device is provided that employs multiple translation look-aside buffers (TLBs) associated with respective processors that are configured to store selected address translations of a page table of a memory shared by the processors. The processing device is configured such that when an address translation is requested by a processor and is not found in the TLB associated with that processor, another TLB is probed for the requested address translation. The probe across to the other TLB may occur in advance of a walk of the page table for the requested address or alternatively a walk can be initiated concurrently with the probe. Where the probe successfully finds the requested address translation, the page table walk can be avoided or discontinued.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Lisa Hsu, Nuwan Jayasena, Andrew Kegel, Bradford M. Beckmann
  • Publication number: 20140181417
    Abstract: A die-stacked memory device implements an integrated coherency manager to offload cache coherency protocol operations for the devices of a processing system. The die-stacked memory device includes a set of one or more stacked memory dies and a set of one or more logic dies. The one or more logic dies implement hardware logic providing a memory interface and the coherency manager. The memory interface operates to perform memory accesses in response to memory access requests from the coherency manager and the one or more external devices. The coherency manager comprises logic to perform coherency operations for shared data stored at the stacked memory dies. Due to the integration of the logic dies and the memory dies, the coherency manager can access shared data stored in the memory dies and perform related coherency operations with higher bandwidth and lower latency and power consumption compared to the external devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel H. Loh, Bradford M. Beckmann, Lisa R. Hsu, Michael Ignatowski, Michael J. Schulte
  • Publication number: 20140181822
    Abstract: A system, method and a computer-readable medium for task scheduling using fragmented channels is provided. A plurality of fragmented channels are stored in memory accessible to a plurality of compute units. Each fragmented channel is associated with a particular compute unit. Each fragmented channel also stores a plurality of data items from tasks scheduled for processing on the associated compute unit and links to another fragmented channel in the plurality of fragmented channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradford M. BECKMANN, Marc S. Orr
  • Publication number: 20140181458
    Abstract: A die-stacked memory device incorporates a data translation controller at one or more logic dies of the device to provide data translation services for data to be stored at, or retrieved from, the die-stacked memory device. The data translation operations implemented by the data translation controller can include compression/decompression operations, encryption/decryption operations, format translations, wear-leveling translations, data ordering operations, and the like. Due to the tight integration of the logic dies and the memory dies, the data translation controller can perform data translation operations with higher bandwidth and lower latency and power consumption compared to operations performed by devices external to the die-stacked memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel H. Loh, Bradford M. Beckmann, James M. O'Connor, Michael Ignatowski, Michael J. Schulte, Lisa R. Hsu, Nuwan S. Jayasena
  • Publication number: 20140181467
    Abstract: Methods, and media, and computer systems are provided. The method includes, the media includes control logic for, and the computer system includes a processor with control logic for overriding an execution mask of SIMD hardware to enable at least one of a plurality of lanes of the SIMD hardware. Overriding the execution mask is responsive to a data parallel computation and a diverged control flow of a workgroup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy G. Rogers, Bradford M. Beckmann, James M. O'Connor
  • Publication number: 20140181412
    Abstract: A system and method for efficiently limiting storage space for data with particular properties in a cache memory. A computing system includes a cache and one or more sources for memory requests. In response to receiving a request to allocate data of a first type, a cache controller allocates the data in the cache responsive to determining a limit of an amount of data of the first type permitted in the cache is not reached. The controller maintains an amount and location information of the data of the first type stored in the cache. Additionally, the cache may be partitioned with each partition designated for storing data of a given type. Allocation of data of the first type is dependent at least upon the availability of a first partition and a limit of an amount of data of the first type in a second partition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Mithuna S. Thottethodi, Gabriel H. Loh, James M. O'Connor, Yasuko Eckert, Bradford M. Beckmann
  • Publication number: 20140173210
    Abstract: A data processing device is provided that facilitates cache coherence policies. In one embodiment, a data processing device utilizes invalidation tags in connection with a cache that is associated with a processing engine. In some embodiments, the cache is configured to store a plurality of cache entries where each cache entry includes a cache line configured to store data and a corresponding cache tag configured to store address information associated with data stored in the cache line. Such address information includes invalidation flags with respect to addresses stored in the cache tags. Each cache tag is associated with an invalidation tag configured to store information related to invalidation commands of addresses stored in the cache tag. In such embodiment, the cache is configured to set invalidation flags of cache tags based upon information stored in respective invalidation tags.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: James O'Connor, Bradford M. Beckmann
  • Publication number: 20140156941
    Abstract: The described embodiments include a cache with a plurality of banks that includes a cache controller. In these embodiments, the cache controller determines a value representing non-native cache blocks stored in at least one bank in the cache, wherein a cache block is non-native to a bank when a home for the cache block is in a predetermined location relative to the bank. Then, based on the value representing non-native cache blocks stored in the at least one bank, the cache controller determines at least one bank in the cache to be transitioned from a first power mode to a second power mode. Next, the cache controller transitions the determined at least one bank in the cache from the first power mode to the second power mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel H. Loh, Mithuna S. Thottehodi, Yasuko Eckert, James M. O'Connor, Mauricio Breternitz, Bradford M. Beckmann, Nuwan Jayasena
  • Publication number: 20140149710
    Abstract: Methods, media, and computing systems are provided. The method includes, the media are configured for, and the computing system includes a processor with control logic for allocating memory for storing a plurality of local register states for work items to be executed in single instruction multiple data hardware and for repacking wavefronts that include work items associated with a program instruction responsive to a conditional statement. The repacking is configured to create repacked wavefronts that include at least one of a wavefront containing work items that all pass the conditional statement and a wavefront containing work items that all fail the conditional statement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy G. Rogers, Bradford M. Beckmann, James M. O'Connor
  • Publication number: 20140143497
    Abstract: A processor system presented here has a plurality of execution cores and a plurality of stack caches, wherein each of the stack caches is associated with a different one of the execution cores. A method of managing stack data for the processor system is presented here. The method maintains a stack cache manager for the plurality of execution cores. The stack cache manager includes entries for stack data accessed by the plurality of execution cores. The method processes, for a requesting execution core of the plurality of execution cores, a virtual address for requested stack data. The method continues by accessing the stack cache manager to search for an entry of the stack cache manager that includes the virtual address for requested stack data, and using information in the entry to retrieve the requested stack data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Lena E. Olson, Yasuko Eckert, Bradford M. Beckmann