Abstract: A rule processor and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the rule processor comprises a general purpose register file, an instruction sequencer to provide instructions, a decoder coupled to the general purpose register file to decode a set of instructions specified by the instruction sequencer, and a state machine unit coupled to the decoder and having state machine registers to store one or more state machines and state machine execution hardware coupled to the state machine registers to evaluate the one or more state machines in response to executing one or more of the set of instructions and based on information from one or both of the decoder and the general purpose register file.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a programmable FSA building block, having a number of programmable registers and associated logic implemented therein, that provide the capability of contextually evaluating complex REs of arbitrary size against multiple data streams. Embodiments of the invention provide fully programmable hardware in which all of the states of an RE are instantiated and all of the states are fully connected. For one embodiment, the building blocks have a fixed number of states to facilitate implementation on a chip. For such an embodiment, an RE having an excessive number of states is implemented on two or more FSA building blocks and the FSA building blocks are then stitched together to effect evaluation of the RE. For one embodiment, two or more REs having a number of states less than the fixed number of states of a building block may be implemented with a single building block.

Abstract: A branch operation is processed using a branch predict instruction and an associated branch instruction. The branch predict instruction indicates a predicted direction, a target address, and an instruction address for the associated branch instruction. When the branch predict instruction is detected, the target address is stored at an entry indicated by the associated branch instruction address and a prefetch request is triggered to the target address. The branch predict instruction may also include hint information for managing the storage and use of the branch prediction information.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a programmable FSA building block, having a number of programmable registers and associated logic implemented therein, that provide the capability of contextually evaluating complex REs of arbitrary size against multiple data streams. Embodiments of the invention provide fully programmable hardware in which all of the states of an RE are instantiated and all of the states are fully connected. For one embodiment, the building blocks have a fixed number of states to facilitate implementation on a chip. For such an embodiment, an RE having an excessive number of states is implemented on two or more FSA building blocks and the FSA building blocks are then stitched together to effect evaluation of the RE. For one embodiment, two or more REs having a number of states less than the fixed number of states of a building block may be implemented with a single building block.

Abstract: A rule processor and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the rule processor comprises a general purpose register file, an instruction sequencer to provide instructions, a decoder coupled to the general purpose register file to decode a set of instructions specified by the instruction sequencer, and a state machine unit coupled to the decoder and having state machine registers to store one or more state machines and state machine execution hardware coupled to the state machine registers to evaluate the one or more state machines in response to executing one or more of the set of instructions and based on information from one or both of the decoder and the general purpose register file.

Abstract: A branch operation is processed using a branch predict instruction and an associated branch instruction. The branch predict instruction indicates a predicted direction, a target address, and an instruction address for the associated branch instruction. When the branch predict instruction is detected, the target address is stored at an entry indicated by the associated branch instruction address and a prefetch request is triggered to the target address. The branch predict instruction may also include hint information for managing the storage and use of the branch prediction information.

Abstract: A method for processing one or more branch instructions in an instruction bundle is provided. The instructions are ordered in an execution sequence within the bundle, with the branch instructions ordered last in the sequence. The bundled instructions are transferred to execution units indicated by a template field that is associated with the bundle. The first branch instruction in the bundle's execution sequence that is resolved taken is determined, and retirement of subsequent instructions in the execution sequence is suppressed.

Abstract: A branch prediction instruction is provided that includes hint information for indicating a storage location for associated branch prediction information in a hierarchy of branch prediction storage structures. When the hint information is in a first state, branch prediction information is stored in a first structure that provides single cycle access to the stored information. When the hint information is in a second state, the branch prediction information is stored in a second structure that provides slower access to the stored information.

Abstract: A processor having a large register file utilizes a template field for ening a set of most useful instruction sequences in a long instruction word format. The instruction set of the processor includes instructions which are one of the plurality of different instruction types. The execution units of the processor are similarly categorized into different types, wherein each instruction type may be executed on one or more of the execution unit types. The instructions are grouped together into 128-bit sized and aligned containers called bundles, with each bundle includes a plurality of instruction slots and a template field that specifies the mapping of the instruction slots to the execution unit types.