Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses relating to hardware control of processor performance levels are described. In one embodiment, a processor includes a plurality of logical processing elements; and a power management circuit to change a highest non-guaranteed performance level and a highest guaranteed performance level for each of the plurality of logical processing elements, and set a notification in a status register when the highest non-guaranteed performance level is changed to a new highest non-guaranteed performance level.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system is described herein for efficiently balancing performance and power between processing elements based on measured workloads. If a workload of a processing element indicates that it is a bottleneck, then its performance may be increased. However, if a platform or integrated circuit including the processing element is already operating at a power or thermal limit, the increase in performance is counterbalanced by a reduction or cap in another processing elements performance to maintain compliance with the power or thermal limit. As a result, bottlenecks are identified and alleviated by balancing power allocation, even when multiple processing elements are operating at a power or thermal limit.

Abstract: A heterogeneous processor architecture and a method of booting a heterogeneous processor is described. A processor according to one embodiment comprises: a set of large physical processor cores; a set of small physical processor cores having relatively lower performance processing capabilities and relatively lower power usage relative to the large physical processor cores; and a package unit, to enable a bootstrap processor. The bootstrap processor initializes the homogeneous physical processor cores, while the heterogeneous processor presents the appearance of a homogeneous processor to a system firmware interface.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system is described herein for efficiently balancing performance and power between processing elements based on measured workloads. If a workload of a processing element indicates that it is a bottleneck, then its performance may be increased. However, if a platform or integrated circuit including the processing element is already operating at a power or thermal limit, the increase in performance is counterbalanced by a reduction or cap in another processing elements performance to maintain compliance with the power or thermal limit. As a result, bottlenecks are identified and alleviated by balancing power allocation, even when multiple processing elements are operating at a power or thermal limit.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with scheduling of threads and/or virtual machines, are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an apparatus is provided with a scheduler of an operating system and/or a virtual machine monitor. The scheduler is to retrieve or receive capabilities of the cores of one or more multi-core processors of the apparatus with diverse capabilities, and schedule a plurality of threads for execution on selected one or ones of the cores, based at least in part on the capabilities of the cores and characteristics of the plurality of threads. The virtual machine monitor is to retrieve or receive capabilities of the cores, and schedule a plurality of virtual machines for execution on selected one or ones of the cores, based at least in part on the capabilities of the cores and respective priorities of the virtual machines. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: A heterogeneous processor architecture is described. For example, a processor according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: a set of large physical processor cores; a set of small physical processor cores having relatively lower performance processing capabilities and relatively lower power usage relative to the large physical processor cores; virtual-to-physical (V-P) mapping logic to expose the set of large physical processor cores to software through a corresponding set of virtual cores and to hide the set of small physical processor core from the software.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and storage media associated with managing operations of a virtual machine including dynamic idling and scheduling of virtual processors on logical processors described herein. In embodiments, an apparatus may include a physical computing platform with one or more physical processors, a virtual machine manager to manage operation of virtual machines each with a priority level and with one or more virtual processors that operate on logical processor instances of the one or more physical processors, wherein the virtual machine manager tracks activities of the virtual processors that operate on a shared logical processor instance and selectively idles and schedules one or more virtual processors in view of at least the activities of the virtual processors that operate on a shared logical processor instance and the priority of the virtual machines associated with the one or more virtual processors.

Abstract: A heterogeneous processor architecture is described. For example, a processor according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: a set of two or more small physical processor cores; at least one large physical processor core having relatively higher performance processing capabilities and relatively higher power usage relative to the small physical processor cores; virtual-to-physical (V-P) mapping logic to expose the set of two or more small physical processor cores to software through a corresponding set of virtual cores and to hide the at least one large physical processor core from the software.

Abstract: A heterogeneous processor architecture is described.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system is described herein for efficiently balancing performance and power between processing elements based on measured workloads. If a workload of a processing element indicates that it is a bottleneck, then its performance may be increased. However, if a platform or integrated circuit including the processing element is already operating at a power or thermal limit, the increase in performance is counterbalanced by a reduction or cap in another processing elements performance to maintain compliance with the power or thermal limit. As a result, bottlenecks are identified and alleviated by balancing power allocation, even when multiple processing elements are operating at a power or thermal limit.

Abstract: Technologies for collaborative hardware-software power management include a computing device having a processor that supports a low-power idle state. The low-power idle state may be connected standby or a low-power audio playback state. The computing device detects a present usage scenario and determines whether the usage scenario qualifies for a power boost. Qualifying usage scenarios may include low-power audio playback, screen-on interactive use, and I/O-bound workloads. For qualifying usage scenarios, the computing device applies a boosted power management policy that increases power consumption and performance compared to a default power management policy. The default power management policy may base performance and power consumption on recent processor utilization. The computing device may generate one or more hardware hints to increase performance and power consumption, such as increasing the processor p-state or setting the value of an energy performance bias register.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system is described herein for efficiently balancing performance and power between processing elements based on measured workloads. If a workload of a processing element indicates that it is a bottleneck, then its performance may be increased. However, if a platform or integrated circuit including the processing element is already operating at a power or thermal limit, the increase in performance is counterbalanced by a reduction or cap in another processing elements performance to maintain compliance with the power or thermal limit. As a result, bottlenecks are identified and alleviated by balancing power allocation, even when multiple processing elements are operating at a power or thermal limit.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor has multiple cores to execute threads. The processor further includes a power control logic to enable entry into a turbo mode based on a comparison between a threshold and value of a counter that stores a count of core power and performance combinations that identify turbo mode requests of at least one of the threads. In this way, turbo mode may be entered at a utilization level of the processor that provides for high power efficiency. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system is described herein for efficiently balancing performance and power between processing elements based on measured workloads. If a workload of a processing element indicates that it is a bottleneck, then its performance may be increased. However, if a platform or integrated circuit including the processing element is already operating at a power or thermal limit, the increase in performance is counterbalanced by a reduction or cap in another processing elements performance to maintain compliance with the power or thermal limit. As a result, bottlenecks are identified and alleviated by balancing power allocation, even when multiple processing elements are operating at a power or thermal limit.

Abstract: Systems and methods of operating a computing system may involve identifying a plurality of state values, wherein each state value corresponds to a computing thread associated with a processor. An average value can be determined for the plurality of state values, wherein a determination may be made as to whether to grant a frequency boost request based at least in part on the average value.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention involves a system and method to enhance an operating system's ability to schedule ready threads, specifically to select a logical processor on which to run the ready thread, based on platform policy. Platform policy may be performance-centric, power-centric, or a balance of the two. Embodiments of the present invention use temporal characteristics of the system utilization, or workload, and/or temporal characteristics of the ready thread in choosing a logical processor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor has multiple cores to execute threads. The processor further includes a power control logic to enable entry into a turbo mode based on a comparison between a threshold and value of a counter that stores a count of core power and performance combinations that identify turbo mode requests of at least one of the threads. In this way, turbo mode may be entered at a utilization level of the processor that provides for high power efficiency. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A heterogeneous processor architecture is described.

Abstract: 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.