Abstract: Technologies disclosed herein provide one example of a system that includes processor circuitry to be communicatively coupled to a memory circuitry. The processor circuitry is to receive a memory access request corresponding to an application for access to an address range in a memory allocation of the memory circuitry and to locate a metadata region within the memory allocation. The processor circuitry is also to, in response to a determination that the address range includes at least a portion of the metadata region, obtain first metadata stored in the metadata region, use the first metadata to determine an alternate memory address in a relocation region, and read, at the alternate memory address, displaced data from the portion of the metadata region included in the address range of the memory allocation. The address range includes one or more bytes of an expected allocation region of the memory allocation.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for instruction elimination through hardware driven memoization of loop instances. A hardware-based loop memoization technique learns repeating sequences of loops and transparently removes instructions for the loop instructions from instruction sequences while making their output available to dependent instructions as if the loop instructions had been executed. A path-based predictor is implemented at the front-end to predict these loop instances and remove their instructions from instruction sequences. A novel memoization prediction micro-operation (Uop) is inserted into the instruction sequence for instances of loops that are predicted to be memoized. The memoization prediction Uop is used to compare the input signature (expected set of input values for the loop) with the actual signature to determine correct and incorrect predictions.

Abstract: An example of an integrated circuit may include a first execution cluster, a second execution cluster that is one or more of narrower and shallower as compared to the first execution cluster, and circuitry to selectively steer instructions to the first execution cluster and the second execution cluster based on branch misprediction information. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Techniques relating to register file prefetch are described. In an embodiment, execution circuitry causes issuance of a prefetch request to copy data from a data cache unit to a register file. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for efficiently making value prediction information available for use by in a processor. In an embodiment, the instruction execution is to include a loading of some data to a first location (e.g., a first register). A decoder of the processor accesses reference information which indicates that the execution is to comprise multiple micro-operations (?ops) including a LoadCheck ?op and a Move ?op. The LoadCheck ?op loads a first value to the first location, and checks whether the loaded first value is the same as a previously-determined second value which represents a prediction of what the first value would be. The Move ?op moves the second value to the first location. In another embodiment, the Move ?op is scheduled for execution out-of-order with respect to the LoadCheck ?op, resulting in an early availability of the second value for access in a register file by another ?op.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for a processor to determine an execution of instructions based on a prediction of a taken branch. In an embodiment, a first prediction unit generates each of multiple branch predictions in one cycle of successive branch prediction cycles. An indication of the branch predictions is provided to an execution pipeline, which prepares to execute an instruction based on the indication. Where a first one of the branch predictions is determined to be of a low confidence type, said first branch prediction is further indicated to a second prediction unit, which performs a second branch prediction based on the same branch instruction for which the first branch prediction was made. In another embodiment, the second prediction unit signals that a state of the execution pipeline is to be cleared, based on a determination that the first and second branch predictions are inconsistent with each other.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes: a plurality of execution circuits to execute and instruct micro-operations (?ops), where a subset of the plurality of execution circuits are capable of execution of a fused ?op; a fusion circuit coupled to at least the subset of the plurality of execution circuits, wherein the fusion circuit is to fuse at least some pairs of producer-consumer ?ops into fused ?ops; and a fusion throttle circuit coupled to the fusion circuit, wherein the fusion throttle circuit is to prevent a first ?op from being fused with another ?op based at least in part on historical information associated with the first ?op. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A processor comprises a microarchitectural feature and dynamic tuning unit (DTU) circuitry. The processor executes a program for first and second execution windows with the microarchitectural feature disabled and enabled, respectively. The DTU circuitry automatically determines whether the processor achieved worse performance in the second execution window. In response to determining that the processor achieved worse performance in the second execution window, the DTU circuitry updates a usefulness state for a selected address of the program to denote worse performance. In response to multiple consecutive determinations that the processor achieved worse performance with the microarchitectural feature enabled, the DTU circuitry automatically updates the usefulness state to denote a confirmed bad state.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses relating to hardware for auto-predication of critical branches. In one embodiment, a processor core includes a decoder to decode instructions into decoded instructions, an execution unit to execute the decoded instructions, a branch predictor circuit to predict a future outcome of a branch instruction, and a branch predication manager circuit to disable use of the predicted future outcome for a conditional critical branch comprising the branch instruction.

Abstract: A processor comprises a first register to store an encoded pointer to a memory location. First context information is stored in first bits of the encoded pointer and a slice of a linear address of the memory location is stored in second bits of the encoded pointer. The processor also includes circuitry to execute a memory access instruction to obtain a physical address of the memory location, access encrypted data at the memory location, derive a first tweak based at least in part on the encoded pointer, and generate a keystream based on the first tweak and a key. The circuitry is to further execute the memory access instruction to store state information associated with memory access instruction in a first buffer, and to decrypt the encrypted data based on the keystream. The keystream is to be generated at least partly in parallel with accessing the encrypted data.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for determining a relative order in which a load instruction and a store instruction are to be executed. In an embodiment, a processor detects an address collision event wherein two instructions, corresponding to different respective instruction pointer values, target the same memory address. Based on the address collision event, the processor identifies respective instruction types of the two instructions as an aliasing instruction type pair. The processor further determines a count of decisions each to forego a reversal of an order of execution of instructions. Each decision represented in the count is based on instructions which are each of a different respective instruction type of the aliasing instruction type pair. In another embodiment, the processor determines, based on the count of decisions, whether a later load instruction is to be advanced in an order of instruction execution.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for memoizing repeat function calls are described herein. An apparatus embodiment includes: uop buffer circuitry to identify a function for memoization based on retiring micro-operations (uops) from a processing pipeline; memoization retirement circuitry to generate a signature of the function which includes input and output data of the function; a memoization data structure to store the signature; and predictor circuitry to detect an instance of the function to be executed by the processing pipeline and to responsively exclude a first subset of uops associated with the instance from execution when a confidence level associated with the function is above a threshold. One or more instructions that are data-dependent on execution of the instance is then provided with the output data of the function from the memoization data structure.

Abstract: A processor comprises a microarchitectural feature and dynamic tuning unit (DTU) circuitry. The processor executes a program for first and second execution windows with the microarchitectural feature disabled and enabled, respectively. The DTU circuitry automatically determines whether the processor achieved worse performance in the second execution window. In response to determining that the processor achieved worse performance in the second execution window, the DTU circuitry updates a usefulness state for a selected address of the program to denote worse performance. In response to multiple consecutive determinations that the processor achieved worse performance with the microarchitectural feature enabled, the DTU circuitry automatically updates the usefulness state to denote a confirmed bad state.

Abstract: An embodiment of an integrated circuit may comprise, coupled to a core, a hardware decompression accelerator, a compressed cache, a processor and communicatively coupled to the hardware decompression accelerator and the compressed cache, and memory and communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores microcode instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to store a first address to a decompression work descriptor, retrieve a second address where a compressed page is stored in the compressed cache from the decompression work descriptor at the first address in response to an indication of a page fault, and send instructions to the hardware decompression accelerator to decompress the compressed page at the second address. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to an Application Programming Interface (API) for fine grained low latency decompression within a processor core are described. In an embodiment, a decompression Application Programming Interface (API) receives an input handle to a data object. The data object includes compressed data and metadata. Decompression Engine (DE) circuitry decompresses the compressed data to generate uncompressed data. The DE circuitry decompress the compressed data in response to invocation of a decompression instruction by the decompression API. The metadata comprises a first operand to indicate a location of the compressed data, a second operand to indicate a size of the compressed data, a third operand to indicate a location to which decompressed data by the DE circuitry is to be stored, and a fourth operand to indicate a size of the decompressed data. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to techniques for increasing per core memory bandwidth by using forget store operations are described. In an embodiment, a cache stores a buffer. Execution circuitry executes an instruction. The instruction causes one or more cachelines in the cache to be marked based on a start address for the buffer and a size of the buffer. A marked cacheline in the cache is to be prevented from being written back to memory. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to speculative decompression within processor core caches are described. In an embodiment, decode circuitry decodes a decompression instruction into a first micro operation and a second micro operation. The first micro operation causes one or more load operations to fetch data into a plurality of cachelines of a cache of a processor core. Decompression Engine (DE) circuitry decompresses the fetched data from the plurality of cachelines of the cache of the processor core in response to the second micro operation. The decompression instruction causes the DE circuitry to perform an out-of-order decompression of the plurality of cachelines. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to an instruction and/or micro-architecture support for decompression on core are described. In an embodiment, decode circuitry decodes a decompression instruction into a first micro operation and a second micro operation. The first micro operation causes one or more load operations to fetch data into one or more cachelines of a cache of a processor core. Decompression Engine (DE) circuitry decompresses the fetched data from the one or more cachelines of the cache of the processor core in response to the second micro operation. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: An embodiment of an integrated circuit may comprise a front end unit, and circuitry coupled to the front end unit, the circuitry to provide a high confidence, multiple branch offset predictor. For example, the circuitry may be configured to identify an entry in a multiple-taken-branch prediction table that corresponds to a conditional branch instruction, determine if a confidence level of the entry exceeds a threshold confidence level, and, if so determined, provide multiple taken branch predictions that stem from the conditional branch instruction from the entry in the multiple-taken-branch prediction table. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: A processor comprises a microarchitectural feature and dynamic tuning unit (DTU) circuitry. The processor executes a program for first and second execution windows with the microarchitectural feature disabled and enabled, respectively. The DTU circuitry automatically determines whether the processor achieved worse performance in the second execution window. In response to determining that the processor achieved worse performance in the second execution window, the DTU circuitry updates a usefulness state for a selected address of the program to denote worse performance. In response to multiple consecutive determinations that the processor achieved worse performance with the microarchitectural feature enabled, the DTU circuitry automatically updates the usefulness state to denote a confirmed bad state.