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: A processor of an aspect includes at least one lower processing capability and lower power consumption physical compute element and at least one higher processing capability and higher power consumption physical compute element. Migration performance benefit evaluation logic is to evaluate a performance benefit of a migration of a workload from the at least one lower processing capability compute element to the at least one higher processing capability compute element, and to determine whether or not to allow the migration based on the evaluated performance benefit. Available energy and thermal budget evaluation logic is to evaluate available energy and thermal budgets and to determine to allow the migration if the migration fits within the available energy and thermal budgets. Workload migration logic is to perform the migration when allowed by both the migration performance benefit evaluation logic and the available energy and thermal budget evaluation logic.

Abstract: Methods and systems may provide for determining a latency constraint associated with a platform and determine an idle window based on the latency constraint. In addition, a plurality of devices on the platform may be instructed to cease one or more activities during the idle window. In one example, the platform is placed in a sleep state during the idle window.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a processor includes a plurality of processor cores for executing a plurality of threads, a shared storage communicatively coupled to the plurality of processor cores, a power control unit (PCU) communicatively coupled to the plurality of processors to determine, without any software (SW) intervention, if a thread being performed by a first processor core should be migrated to a second processor core, and a migration unit, in response to receiving an instruction from the PCU to migrate the thread, to store at least a portion of architectural state of the first processor core in the shared storage and to migrate the thread to the second processor core, without any SW intervention, such that the second processor core can continue executing the thread based on the architectural state from the shared storage without knowledge of the SW.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a power manager to receive a memory power usage value, to determine an available power based at least in part on a power budget and the memory power usage value, and to change a memory power state based at least in part on the available power, wherein the memory power state comprises a memory frequency and a memory voltage. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a multicore processor with first and second groups of cores. The second group can be of a different instruction set architecture (ISA) than the first group or of the same ISA set but having different power and performance support level, and is transparent to an operating system (OS). The processor further includes a migration unit that handles migration requests for a number of different scenarios and causes a context switch to dynamically migrate a process from the second core to a first core of the first group. This dynamic hardware-based context switch can be transparent to the OS. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A system can include multiple devices each configured to run an application at an application level and each having varying performance, power, and other capabilities. A middleware power management facility spanning each of the devices can transfer applications from one device to another responsive to a determination based on capabilities of the devices, with the goal of optimizing the individual power consumption or collective energy efficiency of the devices, within application quality of service constraints.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for dynamic memory frequency/voltage scaling to augment existing memory power management techniques and further improve memory power efficiency. Each operating point is defined as an operational state for the memory.

Abstract: Memory power estimation by means of calibrated weights and activity counters are generally presented. In this regard, in one embodiment, a memory power is introduced to read a value from a memory activity counter, to determine a memory power estimation based at least in part on the value and a calibration, and to store the memory power estimation to a register. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A method and system for determining an energy-efficient operating point of the platform or system. The platform has logic to dynamically manage setting(s) of the processing cores and/or platform components in the platform to achieve maximum system energy efficiency. By using the characteristics of the workload and/or platform to determine the optimum settings of the platform, the logic of the platform facilitates performance guarantees of the platform while minimizing the energy consumption of the processor core and/or platform. The logic of the platform identifies opportunities to run the processing cores at higher performance levels which decreases the execution time of the workload and transitions the platform to a low-power system idle state after the completion of the execution of the workload. Since the execution time of the workload is reduced, the platform spends more time in the low-power system idle state and therefore the overall system energy consumption is reduced.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for adaptive memory operational state management. A memory performance parameter is determined for at least a portion of a memory system. The memory performance parameter is compared to one or more threshold values. An operating frequency of the memory system can be modified based on results of the comparison of the memory performance parameter and the one or more threshold values.

Abstract: A method and system for determining an energy-efficient operating point of the platform or system. The platform has logic to dynamically manage setting(s) of the processing cores and/or platform components in the platform to achieve maximum system energy efficiency. By using the characteristics of the workload and/or platform to determine the optimum settings of the platform, the logic of the platform facilitates performance guarantees of the platform while minimizing the energy consumption of the processor core and/or platform. The logic of the platform identifies opportunities to run the processing cores at higher performance levels which decreases the execution time of the workload and transitions the platform to a low-power system idle state after the completion of the execution of the workload. Since the execution time of the workload is reduced, the platform spends more time in the low-power system idle state and therefore the overall system energy consumption is reduced.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a power manager to receive a memory power usage value, to determine an available power based at least in part on a power budget and the memory power usage value, and to change a memory power state based at least in part on the available power, wherein the memory power state comprises a memory frequency and a memory voltage. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Memory power estimation by means of calibrated weights and activity counters are generally presented. In this regard, in one embodiment, a memory power is introduced to read a value from a memory activity counter, to determine a memory power estimation based at least in part on the value and a calibration, and to store the memory power estimation to a register. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for dynamic memory frequency/voltage scaling to augment existing memory power management techniques and further improve memory power efficiency. Each operating point is defined as an operational state for the memory.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for adaptive memory operational state management. A memory performance parameter is determined for at least a portion of a memory system. The memory performance parameter is compared to one or more threshold values. An operating frequency of the memory system can be modified based on results of the comparison of the memory performance parameter and the one or more threshold values.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide determination of a processor performance characteristic associated with a first workload, and determination of a processor performance state for the first workload based on the performance characteristic. Further aspects may include determination of a second processor performance characteristic associated with a second workload, determination of a second processor performance state for the second workload based on the performance characteristic, determination of a similarity between the first performance characteristics and the second performance characteristics, determination of a cluster comprising the first workload and the second workload, and association of a third processor performance state with the cluster, wherein the third processor performance state is identical to the first processor performance state and to the second processor performance state.

Abstract: A method and system for determining an energy-efficient operating point of the platform or system. The platform has logic to dynamically manage setting(s) of the processing cores and/or platform components in the platform to achieve maximum system energy efficiency. By using the characteristics of the workload and/or platform to determine the optimum settings of the platform, the logic of the platform facilitates performance guarantees of the platform while minimizing the energy consumption of the processor core and/or platform. The logic of the platform identifies opportunities to run the processing cores at higher performance levels which decreases the execution time of the workload and transitions the platform to a low-power system idle state after the completion of the execution of the workload. Since the execution time of the workload is reduced, the platform spends more time in the low-power system idle state and therefore the overall system energy consumption is reduced.

Abstract: A method, device, and system are disclosed. In one embodiment the method includes grouping multiple memory requests into multiple of memory rank queues. Each rank queue contains the memory requests that target addresses within the corresponding memory rank. The method also schedules a minimum burst number of memory requests within one of the memory rank queues to be serviced when the burst number has been reached in the one of the plurality of memory rank queues. Finally, if a memory request exceeds an aging threshold, then that memory request will be serviced.

Abstract: An electronic system may include a memory storing processor-executable program code and a processor in communication with the memory and operative in conjunction with the stored program code to determine a number of retired instructions and a number of input/output queue events for a workload and to determine if a performance characteristic is within a desired performance range based at least in part on the number of retired instructions and the number of input/output queue events. If the performance characteristic is within the desired performance range, the processor may be further operative in conjunction with the stored program code to determine an amount of time on die and an amount of time off die for the workload, to determine if a phase shift occurred based on the amount of time on die and the amount of time of die, and, if the phase shift occurred, to determine a new target frequency for a processor to execute the workload.