Patents by Inventor Francis P. O'Connell

Francis P. O'Connell 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: 10241889
    Abstract: A processor system tracks, in at least one counter, a number of cycles in which at least one execution unit of at least one processor core is idle and at least one thread of the at least one processor core is waiting on at least one off-core memory access during run-time of the at least one processor core during an interval comprising multiple cycles. The processor system evaluates an expected performance impact of a frequency change within the at least one processor core based on the current run-time conditions for executing at least one operation tracked in the at least one counter during the interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Heather L. Hanson, Venkat R. Indukuru, Francis P. O'Connell, Karthick Rajamani
  • Publication number: 20170177275
    Abstract: A processor system tracks, in at least one counter, a number of cycles in which at least one execution unit of at least one processor core is idle and at least one thread of the at least one processor core is waiting on at least one off-core memory access during run-time of the at least one processor core during an interval comprising multiple cycles. The processor system evaluates an expected performance impact of a frequency change within the at least one processor core based on the current run-time conditions for executing at least one operation tracked in the at least one counter during the interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: HEATHER L. HANSON, VENKAT R. INDUKURU, FRANCIS P. O'CONNELL, KARTHICK RAJAMANI
  • Patent number: 9652356
    Abstract: A processor system tracks, in at least one counter, a number of cycles in which at least one execution unit of at least one processor core is idle and at least one thread of the at least one processor core is waiting on at least one off-core memory access during run-time of the at least one processor core during an interval comprising multiple cycles. The processor system evaluates an expected performance impact of a frequency change within the at least one processor core based on the current run-time conditions for executing at least one operation tracked in the at least one counter during the interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Heather L. Hanson, Venkat R. Indukuru, Francis P. O'Connell, Karthick Rajamani
  • Patent number: 9645935
    Abstract: In an approach for sharing memory bandwidth in one or more processors, a processor receives a first set of monitored usage information for one or more processors executing one or more threads. A processor calculates impact of hardware data prefetching for each thread of the one or more threads, based on the first set of monitored usage information. A processor adjusts prefetch settings for the one or more threads, based on the calculated impact of hardware data prefetching for each thread of the one or more threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Pradip Bose, Alper Buyuktosunoglu, Victor Javier Jimenez Perez, Francis P. O'Connell
  • Patent number: 9600392
    Abstract: A processor system tracks, in at least one counter, a number of cycles in which at least one execution unit of at least one processor core is idle and at least one thread of the at least one processor core is waiting on at least one off-core memory access during run-time of the at least one processor core during an interval comprising multiple cycles. The processor system evaluates an expected performance impact of a frequency change within the at least one processor core based on the current run-time conditions for executing at least one operation tracked in the at least one counter during the interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Heather L. Hanson, Venkat R. Indukuru, Francis P. O'Connell, Karthick Rajamani
  • Publication number: 20160253264
    Abstract: In an approach for sharing memory bandwidth in one or more processors, a processor receives a first set of monitored usage information for one or more processors executing one or more threads. A processor calculates impact of hardware data prefetching for each thread of the one or more threads, based on the first set of monitored usage information. A processor adjusts prefetch settings for the one or more threads, based on the calculated impact of hardware data prefetching for each thread of the one or more threads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Pradip Bose, Alper Buyuktosunoglu, Victor Javier Jimenez Perez, Francis P. O'Connell
  • Publication number: 20160041594
    Abstract: A processor system tracks, in at least one counter, a number of cycles in which at least one execution unit of at least one processor core is idle and at least one thread of the at least one processor core is waiting on at least one off-core memory access during run-time of the at least one processor core during an interval comprising multiple cycles. The processor system evaluates an expected performance impact of a frequency change within the at least one processor core based on the current run-time conditions for executing at least one operation tracked in the at least one counter during the interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: HEATHER L. HANSON, VENKAT R. INDUKURU, FRANCIS P. O'CONNELL, KARTHICK RAJAMANI
  • Publication number: 20160041775
    Abstract: A processor system tracks, in at least one counter, a number of cycles in which at least one execution unit of at least one processor core is idle and at least one thread of the at least one processor core is waiting on at least one off-core memory access during run-time of the at least one processor core during an interval comprising multiple cycles. The processor system evaluates an expected performance impact of a frequency change within the at least one processor core based on the current run-time conditions for executing at least one operation tracked in the at least one counter during the interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: HEATHER L. HANSON, VENKAT R. INDUKURU, FRANCIS P. O'CONNELL, KARTHICK RAJAMANI
  • Patent number: 8949579
    Abstract: A processor of an information handling system (IHS) initiates an L3 cache prefetch operation in response to a demand load during instruction processing. The processor selects an L3 cache prefetch at random for tracking as a target prefetched instruction. The processor initiates an L1 cache target prefetch operation and stores the resultant target prefetched instruction in the L1 cache. If a demand load arrives, the processor analyzes the target prefetched instruction for effectiveness and determines the source of the prefetch data. If a demand does not arrive, the processor tests to determine if the particular prefetched instruction timed out in the cache and identifies the ineffectiveness of the prefetch operation. The processor samples multiple prefetch operations at random and generates a history of prefetch effectiveness and other useful prefetch information. The processor stores the prefetch effectiveness information to enable reduction or removal of ineffective prefetch operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Miles R. Dooley, Venkat R. Indukuru, Alex E. Mericas, Francis P. O'Connell
  • Patent number: 8909871
    Abstract: A data processing system includes a system memory and a cache hierarchy that caches contents of the system memory. According to one method of data processing, a storage modifying operation having a cacheable target real memory address is received. A determination is made whether or not the storage modifying operation has an associated bypass indication. In response to determining that the storage modifying operation has an associated bypass indication, the cache hierarchy is bypassed, and an update indicated by the storage modifying operation is performed in the system memory. In response to determining that the storage modifying operation does not have an associated bypass indication, the update indicated by the storage modifying operation is performed in the cache hierarchy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi K. Arimilli, Francis P. O'Connell, Hazim Shafi, Derek E. Williams, Lixin Zhang
  • Patent number: 8856453
    Abstract: A prefetch unit includes a transience register and a length register. The transience register hosts an indication of transient for data stream prefetching. The length register hosts an indication of a stream length for data stream prefetching. The prefetch unit monitors the transience register and the length register. The prefetch unit generates prefetch requests of data streams with a transient property up to the stream length limit when the transience register indicates transient and the length register indicates the stream length limit for data stream prefetching. A cache controller coupled with the prefetch unit implements a cache replacement policy and cache coherence protocols. The cache controller writes data supplied from memory responsive to the prefetch requests into cache with an indication of transient. The cache controller victimizes cache lines with an indication of transient independent of the cache replacement policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jason N. Dale, Miles R. Dooley, Richard J. Eickemeyer, Bradly G. Frey, Yaoqing Gao, Francis P. O'Connell, Jeffrey A. Stuecheli
  • Publication number: 20130232320
    Abstract: A prefetch unit includes a transience register and a length register. The transience register hosts an indication of transient for data stream prefetching. The length register hosts an indication of a stream length for data stream prefetching. The prefetch unit monitors the transience register and the length register. The prefetch unit generates prefetch requests of data streams with a transient property up to the stream length limit when the transience register indicates transient and the length register indicates the stream length limit for data stream prefetching. A cache controller coupled with the prefetch unit implements a cache replacement policy and cache coherence protocols. The cache controller writes data supplied from memory responsive to the prefetch requests into cache with an indication of transient. The cache controller victimizes cache lines with an indication of transient independent of the cache replacement policy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: JASON N. DALE, MILES R. DOOLEY, RICHARD J. EICKEMEYER, BRADLY G. FREY, YAOQING GAO, FRANCIS P. O'CONNELL, JEFFREY A. STUECHELI
  • Publication number: 20120084511
    Abstract: A processor of an information handling system (IHS) initiates an L3 cache prefetch operation in response to a demand load during instruction processing. The processor selects an L3 cache prefetch at random for tracking as a target prefetched instruction. The processor initiates an L1 cache target prefetch operation and stores the resultant target prefetched instruction in the L1 cache. If a demand load arrives, the processor analyses the target prefetched instruction for effectiveness and determines the source of the prefetch data. If a demand does not arrive, the processor tests to determine if the particular prefetched instruction timed out in the cache and identifies the infectiveness of the prefetch operation. The processor samples multiple prefetch operations at random and generates a history of prefetch effectiveness and other useful prefetch information. The processor stores the prefetch effectiveness information to enable reduction or removal of ineffective prefetch operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Miles R. Dooley, Venkat R. Indukuru, Alex E. Mericas, Francis P. O'Connell
  • Publication number: 20080046736
    Abstract: A data processing system includes a system memory and a cache hierarchy that caches contents of the system memory. According to one method of data processing, a storage modifying operation having a cacheable target real memory address is received. A determination is made whether or not the storage modifying operation has an associated bypass indication. In response to determining that the storage modifying operation has an associated bypass indication, the cache hierarchy is bypassed, and an update indicated by the storage modifying operation is performed in the system memory. In response to determining that the storage modifying operation does not have an associated bypass indication, the update indicated by the storage modifying operation is performed in the cache hierarchy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Ravi K. Arimilli, Francis P. O'Connell, Hazim Shafi, Derek E. Williams, Lixin Zhang