Patents by Inventor Erwin Pfeffer

Erwin Pfeffer 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).

  • Patent number: 8041922
    Abstract: What is provided is a load real address function defined for a machine architecture of a computer system. In one embodiment, a machine instruction containing an opcode is obtained indicating that a load real address is to be performed. The instruction further identifies a first general register. Based on the contents of the machine instruction, a virtual address to be translated is obtained. Dynamic address translation is performed on the virtual address to obtain a segment-frame absolute address of a large block of data in memory. If an extended DAT facility and a format control field in the segment table entry are enabled, the address of the block of data is saved in the first general register. A page index portion and a byte index portion of the virtual address may also be saved in the first general register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dan F. Greiner, Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Gustav E. Sittmann
  • Patent number: 8041923
    Abstract: What is provided is a load page table entry address function defined for a machine architecture of a computer system. In one embodiment, a machine instruction is obtained which contains an opcode indicating that a load page table entry address function is to be performed. The machine instruction contains an M field, a first field identifying a first general register, and a second field identifying a second general register. Based on the contents of the M field, an initial origin address of a hierarchy of address translation tables having at least one segment table is obtained. Based on the obtained initial origin address, dynamic address translation is performed until a page table entry is obtained. The page table entry address is saved in the identified first general register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dan F. Greiner, Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Gustav E. Sittmann
  • Patent number: 8037278
    Abstract: What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables are obtained. An index portion of the virtual address is used to reference an entry in the translation table. If the format control field is enabled, a frame address of a large block of data in main storage is obtained from the translation table entry. The large block of data is a block of at least 1M byte in size. The frame address is then combined with an offset portion of the virtual address to form the translated address of a desired block of data within the large block of data in main storage. The desired large block of data addressed by the translated address is then accessed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dan F. Greiner, Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Charles F. Webb
  • Patent number: 8019964
    Abstract: What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of any one of a region first table, a region second table, a region third table, or a segment table are obtained. Based on the obtained initial origin address, a segment table entry is obtained which contains a format control and DAT protection fields. If the format control field is enabled, obtaining from the translation table entry a segment-frame absolute address of a large block of data in main storage. The segment-frame absolute address is combined with a page index portion and a byte index portion of the virtual address to form a translated address of the desired block of data. If the DAT protection field is not enabled, fetches and stores are permitted to the desired block of data addressed by the translated virtual address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: International Buisness Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dan F. Greiner, Charles W. Gainey, Jr., Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Charles F. Webb
  • Patent number: 7975182
    Abstract: There is provided a method, system and computer program product for generating trace data related to a data processing system event. The method includes: receiving an instruction relating to the system event from a location in the system; determining a minimum number of trace segment records required to record instruction information; and creating a trace segment table including the number of trace segment records, the number of trace segment records including at least one instruction record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Debbie A. St. Onge, Jane H. Bartik, Barry W. Krumm, Erwin Pfeffer, Chung-Lung Kevin Shum
  • Patent number: 7930514
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for implementing a dual-addressable cache is provided. The method includes adding fields for indirect indices to each congruence class provided in a cache directory. The cache directory is indexed by primary addresses. In response to a request for a primary address based upon a known secondary address corresponding to the primary address, the method also includes generating an index for the secondary address, and inserting or updating one of the indirect indices into one of the fields for a congruence class relating to the secondary address. The indirect index is assigned a value of a virtual index corresponding to the primary address. The method further includes searching congruence classes of each of the indirect indices for the secondary address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Norbert Hagspiel, Erwin Pfeffer, Bruce A. Wagar
  • Publication number: 20090216516
    Abstract: There is provided a method, system and computer program product for generating trace data related to a data processing system event. The method includes: receiving an instruction relating to the system event from a location in the system; determining a minimum number of trace segment records required to record instruction information; and creating a trace segment table including the number of trace segment records, the number of trace segment records including at least one instruction record.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Debbie A. St. Onge, Jane H. Bartik, Barry W. Krumm, Erwin Pfeffer, Chung-Lung Kevin Shum
  • Publication number: 20090216992
    Abstract: What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables are obtained. Dynamic address translation of the virtual address proceeds. In response to a translation interruption having occurred during dynamic address translation, bits are stored in a translation exception qualifier (TXQ) field to indicate that the exception was either a host DAT exception having occurred while running a host program or a host DAT exception having occurred while running a guest program. The TXQ is further capable of indicating that the exception was associated with a host virtual address derived from a guest page frame real address or a guest segment frame absolute address. The TXQ is further capable of indicating that a larger or smaller host frame size is preferred to back a guest frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAN F. GREINER, Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer
  • Publication number: 20090216963
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for providing a shared memory translation facility. The method includes receiving a request for access to a memory address from a requestor at a configuration, the receiving at a shared memory translation mechanism. It is determined if the memory address refers to a shared memory object (SMO), the SMO accessible by a plurality of configurations. In response to determining that the memory address refers to the SMO, it is determined if the configuration has access to the SMO. In response to determining that the configuration has access to the SMO, the requestor is provided a system absolute address for the SMO and access to the SMO. In this manner direct interchange of data between the plurality of configurations is allowed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dan F. Greiner, Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Donald W. Schmidt, Jaya Srikrishnan, Charles F. Webb, Leslie W. Wyman
  • Publication number: 20090187731
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for address translation in a system running multiple levels of virtual machines containing a hierarchically organized translation lookaside buffer comprising at least two linked hierarchical sub-units, a first sub-unit comprising a lookaside buffer for some higher level address translation levels, and the second sub-unit comprising a lookaside buffer for some lower level address translation levels, and said second sub-unit being arranged to store TLB index address information of the upper level sub-unit as tag information in its lower level TLB structure, comprising the steps of collecting intermediate address translation results on different virtual machine levels; and buffering the intermediate translation results in the translation lookaside buffer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joerg Deutschle, Ute Gaertner, Erwin Pfeffer, Chung-Lung Kevin Shum, Bruce Wagar
  • Publication number: 20090187728
    Abstract: What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables are obtained. A segment table entry obtained from a segment table contains a format control field. If the format control field is enabled, a segment-frame absolute address of a large block of data in main storage is obtained from the segment table entry. Each 4K byte block of data within the large block has an associated storage key. Store operations associated with the virtual address are performed to the desired block of data. If the change recording override field is disabled, the change bit of the storage key associated with the desired 4K byte block is set to 1. An indication is then provided that the desired 4K byte block has been modified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAN F. GREINER, Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Charles F. Webb
  • Publication number: 20090187732
    Abstract: What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of any one of a region first table, a region second table, a region third table, or a segment table are obtained. Based on the obtained initial origin address, a segment table entry is obtained which contains a format control and DAT protection fields. If the format control field is enabled, obtaining from the translation table entry a segment-frame absolute address of a large block of data in main storage. The segment-frame absolute address is combined with a page index portion and a byte index portion of the virtual address to form a translated address of the desired block of data. If the DAT protection field is not enabled, fetches and stores are permitted to the desired block of data addressed by the translated virtual address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAN F. GREINER, Charles W. Gainey, JR., Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Charles F. Webb
  • Publication number: 20090182973
    Abstract: What is provided is a load real address function defined for a machine architecture of a computer system. In one embodiment, a machine instruction containing an opcode is obtained indicating that a load real address is to be performed. The instruction further identifies a first general register. Based on the contents of the machine instruction, a virtual address to be translated is obtained. Dynamic address translation is performed on the virtual address to obtain a segment-frame absolute address of a large block of data in memory. If an extended DAT facility and a format control field in the segment table entry are enabled, the address of the block of data is saved in the first general register. A page index portion and a byte index portion of the virtual address may also be saved in the first general register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAN F. GREINER, Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Gustav E. Sittmann
  • Publication number: 20090182972
    Abstract: What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables are obtained. An index portion of the virtual address is used to reference an entry in the translation table. If a format control field contained in the translation table entry is enabled, the table entry contains a frame address of a large block of data of at least 1M byte in size. The frame address is then combined with an offset portion of the virtual address to form the translated address of a small 4K byte block of data in main storage or memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAN F. GREINER, Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Charles F. Webb
  • Publication number: 20090182964
    Abstract: What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables are obtained. An index portion of the virtual address is used to reference an entry in the translation table. If the format control field is enabled, a frame address of a large block of data in main storage is obtained from the translation table entry. The large block of data is a block of at least 1M byte in size. The frame address is then combined with an offset portion of the virtual address to form the translated address of a desired block of data within the large block of data in main storage. The desired large block of data addressed by the translated address is then accessed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAN F. GREINER, Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Charles F. Webb
  • Publication number: 20090182971
    Abstract: What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated is first obtained and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables is obtained. Based on the obtained initial origin, a segment table entry is obtained. The segment table entry is configured to contain a format control and access validity fields. If the format control and access validity fields are enabled, the segment table entry further contains an access control field, a fetch protection field, and a segment-frame absolute address. Store operations are permitted only if the access control field matches a program access key provided by any one of a Program Status Word or an operand of a program instruction being executed. Fetch operations are permitted if the program access key associated with the virtual address is equal to the segment access control field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAN F. GREINER, Charles W. Gainey, JR., Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Charles F. Webb
  • Publication number: 20090182975
    Abstract: What is provided is a load page table entry address function defined for a machine architecture of a computer system. In one embodiment, a machine instruction is obtained which contains an opcode indicating that a load page table entry address function is to be performed. The machine instruction contains an M field, a first field identifying a first general register, and a second field identifying a second general register. Based on the contents of the M field, an initial origin address of a hierarchy of address translation tables having at least one segment table is obtained. Based on the obtained initial origin address, dynamic address translation is performed until a page table entry is obtained. The page table entry address is saved in the identified first general register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAN F. GREINER, Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Gustav E. Sittmann
  • Publication number: 20090182974
    Abstract: What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables are obtained. Based on the origin address, a segment table entry is obtained which contains a format control field and an access validity field. If the format control and access validity are enabled, the segment table entry further contains an access control and fetch protection fields, and a segment-frame absolute address. Store operations to the block of data are permitted only if the access control field matches a program access key provided by either a Program Status Word or an operand of a program instruction being executed. Fetch operations from the desired block of data are permitted only if the program access key associated with the virtual address is equal to the segment access control field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAN F. GREINER, Charles W. Gainey, JR., Lisa C. Heller, Damian L. Osisek, Erwin Pfeffer, Timothy J. Slegel, Charles E. Webb
  • Publication number: 20080320216
    Abstract: A program product, a translation lookaside buffer and a related method for operating the TLB is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthias Fertig, Ute Gaertner, Norbert Hagspiel, Erwin Pfeffer
  • Publication number: 20070186075
    Abstract: An instruction is provided to perform clearing of selected address translation buffer entries (TLB entries) associated with a particular address space, such as segments of storage or regions of storage. The buffer entries related to segment table entries or region table entries or ASCE addresses. The instruction can be implemented by software emulation, hardware, firmware or some combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Slegel, Lisa Heller, Erwin Pfeffer, Kenneth Plambeck