Patents by Inventor Kathryn M. O'Brien

Kathryn M. O'Brien 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: 8561043
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for optimizing irregular memory references in computer code. These mechanisms may parse the computer code to identify memory references in the computer code. These mechanisms may further classify the memory references in the computer code as either regular memory references or irregular memory references. Moreover, the mechanisms may transform the computer code, by a compiler, to generate transformed computer code in which irregular memory references access a storage of a software cache of a data processing system through a transactional cache mechanism of the software cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Barcelona Supercomputing Center
    Inventors: Eduard Ayguade, Tong Chen, Alexandre E. Eichenberger, Marc Gonzalez Tallada, Xavier Martorell, John K. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Zehra N. Sura, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 8561044
    Abstract: Mechanisms for optimized code generation targeting a high locality software cache are provided. Original computer code is parsed to identify memory references in the original computer code. Memory references are classified as either regular memory references or irregular memory references. Regular memory references are controlled by a high locality cache mechanism. Original computer code is transformed, by a compiler, to generate transformed computer code in which the regular memory references are grouped into one or more memory reference streams, each memory reference stream having a leading memory reference, a trailing memory reference, and one or more middle memory references.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Alexandre E. Eichenberger, Marc Gonzalez Tallada, John K. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Zehra N. Sura, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 8527974
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for optimizing regular memory references in computer code. These mechanisms may parse the computer code to identify memory references in the computer code. These mechanisms may further classify the memory references in the computer code as either regular memory references or irregular memory references. Moreover, the mechanisms may transform the computer code, by a compiler, to generate transformed computer code in which regular memory references access a storage of a software cache of a data processing system through a high locality cache mechanism of the software cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Barcelona Supercomputing Center—Centro Nacional de Supercomputacion
    Inventors: Eduard Ayguade, Tong Chen, Alexandre E. Eichenberger, Marc Gonzalez Tallada, Xavier Martorell, John K. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Zehra N. Sura, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 8522225
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for rewriting branch instructions in a portion of code. The mechanisms receive a portion of source code having an original branch instruction. The mechanisms generate a branch stub for the original branch instruction. The branch stub stores information about the original branch instruction including an original target address of the original branch instruction. Moreover, the mechanisms rewrite the original branch instruction so that a target of the rewritten branch instruction references the branch stub. In addition, the mechanisms output compiled code including the rewritten branch instruction and the branch stub for execution by a computing device. The branch stub is utilized by the computing device at runtime to determine if execution of the rewritten branch instruction can be redirected directly to a target instruction corresponding to the original target address in an instruction cache of the computing device without intervention by an instruction cache runtime system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Brian Flachs, Brad W. Michael, Mark R. Nutter, John K. P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 8516230
    Abstract: An application thread executes a direct branch instruction that is stored in an instruction cache line. Upon execution, the direct branch instruction branches to a branch descriptor that is also stored in the instruction cache line. The branch descriptor includes a trampoline branch instruction and a target instruction space address. Next, the trampoline branch instruction sends a branch descriptor pointer, which points to the branch descriptor, to an instruction cache manager. The instruction cache manager extracts the target instruction space address from the branch descriptor, and executes a target instruction corresponding to the target instruction space address. In one embodiment, the instruction cache manager generates a target local store address by masking off a portion of bits included in the target instruction space address. In turn, the application thread executes the target instruction located at the target local store address accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Brian Flachs, Brad William Michael, Mark Richard Nutter, Kathryn M. O'Brien, John Kevin Patrick O'Brien
  • Patent number: 8468539
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for tracking dependencies of threads in a multi-threaded computer program execution. The mechanisms detect a dependency of a first thread's execution on results of a second thread's execution in an execution flow of the multi-threaded computer program. The mechanisms further store, in a hardware thread dependency vector storage associated with the first thread's execution, an identifier of the dependency by setting at least one bit in the hardware thread dependency vector storage corresponding to the second thread. Moreover, the mechanisms schedule tasks performed by the multi-threaded computer program based on the hardware thread dependency vector storage to minimize squashing of threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandre E. Eichenberger, John K. P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Lakshminarayanan Renganarayana, Xiaotong Zhuang
  • Patent number: 8464271
    Abstract: A runtime dependence-aware scheduling of dependent iterations mechanism is provided. Computation is performed for one or more iterations of computer executable code by a main thread. Dependence information is determined for a plurality of memory accesses within the computer executable code using modified executable code using a set of dependence threads. Using the dependence information, a determination is made as to whether a subset of a set of uncompleted iterations in the plurality of iterations is capable of being executed ahead-of-time by the one or more available threads in the data processing system. If the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations in the plurality of iterations is capable of being executed ahead-of-time, the main thread is signaled to skip the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations and the set of assist threads is signaled to execute the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandre E. Eichenberger, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Xiaotong Zhuang
  • Patent number: 8397052
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for controlling version pressure on a speculative versioning cache. Raw version pressure data is collected based on one or more threads accessing cache lines of the speculative versioning cache. One or more statistical measures of version pressure are generated based on the collected raw version pressure data. A determination is made as to whether one or more modifications to an operation of a data processing system are to be performed based on the one or more statistical measures of version pressure, the one or more modifications affecting version pressure exerted on the speculative versioning cache. An operation of the data processing system is modified based on the one or more determined modifications, in response to a determination that one or more modifications to the operation of the data processing system are to be performed, to affect the version pressure exerted on the speculative versioning cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandre E. Eichenberger, Alan Gara, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Martin Ohmacht, Xiaotong Zhuang
  • Patent number: 8375374
    Abstract: An mechanism is provided for partitioning programs between a general purpose core and one or more accelerators. With the apparatus and method, a compiler front end is provided for converting a program source code in a corresponding high level programming language into an intermediate code representation. This intermediate code representation is provided to an interprocedural optimizer which determines which core processor or accelerator each portion of the program should execute on and partitions the program into sub-programs based on this set of decisions. The interprocedural optimizer may further add instructions to the partitions to coordinate and synchronize the sub-programs as required. Each sub-program is compiled on an appropriate compiler backend for the instruction set architecture of the particular core processor or accelerator selected to execute the sub-program. The compiled sub-programs and then linked to thereby generate an executable program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Kevin Patrick O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Daniel A. Prener
  • Publication number: 20120204189
    Abstract: A runtime dependence-aware scheduling of dependent iterations mechanism is provided. Computation is performed for one or more iterations of computer executable code by a main thread. Dependence information is determined for a plurality of memory accesses within the computer executable code using modified executable code using a set of dependence threads. Using the dependence information, a determination is made as to whether a subset of a set of uncompleted iterations in the plurality of iterations is capable of being executed ahead-of-time by the one or more available threads in the data processing system. If the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations in the plurality of iterations is capable of being executed ahead-of-time, the main thread is signaled to skip the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations and the set of assist threads is signaled to execute the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandre E. Eichenberger, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Xiaotong Zhuang
  • Publication number: 20120204016
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for rewriting branch instructions in a portion of code. The mechanisms receive a portion of source code having an original branch instruction. The mechanisms generate a branch stub for the original branch instruction. The branch stub stores information about the original branch instruction including an original target address of the original branch instruction. Moreover, the mechanisms rewrite the original branch instruction so that a target of the rewritten branch instruction references the branch stub. In addition, the mechanisms output compiled code including the rewritten branch instruction and the branch stub for execution by a computing device. The branch stub is utilized by the computing device at runtime to determine if execution of the rewritten branch instruction can be redirected directly to a target instruction corresponding to the original target address in an instruction cache of the computing device without intervention by an instruction cache runtime system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Brian Flachs, Brad W. Michael, Mark R. Nutter, John K.P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Tao Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120198169
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for dynamically rewriting branch instructions in a portion of code. The mechanisms execute a branch instruction in the portion of code. The mechanisms determine if a target instruction of the branch instruction, to which the branch instruction branches, is present in an instruction cache associated with the processor. Moreover, the mechanisms directly branch execution of the portion of code to the target instruction in the instruction cache, without intervention from an instruction cache runtime system, in response to a determination that the target instruction is present in the instruction cache. In addition, the mechanisms redirect execution of the portion of code to the instruction cache runtime system in response to a determination that the target instruction cannot be determined to be present in the instruction cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Brian Flachs, Brad W. Michael, Mark R. Nutter, John K.P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Tao Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120198170
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for evicting cache lines from an instruction cache of the data processing system. The mechanisms store, for a portion of code in a current cache line, a linked list of call sites that directly or indirectly target the portion of code in the current cache line. A determination is made as to whether the current cache line is to be evicted from the instruction cache. The linked list of call sites is processed to identify one or more rewritten branch instructions having associated branch stubs, that either directly or indirectly target the portion of code in the current cache line. In addition, the one or more rewritten branch instructions are rewritten to restore the one or more rewritten branch instructions to an original state based on information in the associated branch stubs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Brian Flachs, Brad W. Michael, Mark R. Nutter, John K.P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Tao Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120198429
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for arranging binary code to reduce instruction cache conflict misses. These mechanisms generate a call graph of a portion of code. Nodes and edges in the call graph are weighted to generate a weighted call graph. The weighted call graph is then partitioned according to the weights, affinities between nodes of the call graph, and the size of cache lines in an instruction cache of the data processing system, so that binary code associated with one or more subsets of nodes in the call graph are combined into individual cache lines based on the partitioning. The binary code corresponding to the partitioned call graph is then output for execution in a computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Brian Flachs, Brad W. Michael, Mark R. Nutter, John K.P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 8214831
    Abstract: A runtime dependence-aware scheduling of dependent iterations mechanism is provided. Computation is performed for one or more iterations of computer executable code by a main thread. Dependence information is determined for a plurality of memory accesses within the computer executable code using modified executable code using a set of dependence threads. Using the dependence information, a determination is made as to whether a subset of a set of uncompleted iterations in the plurality of iterations is capable of being executed ahead-of-time by the one or more available threads in the data processing system. If the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations in the plurality of iterations is capable of being executed ahead-of-time, the main thread is signaled to skip the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations and the set of assist threads is signaled to execute the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandre E. Eichenberger, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Xiaotong Zhuang
  • Publication number: 20110320786
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for evicting cache lines from an instruction cache of the data processing system. The mechanisms store, for a portion of code in a current cache line, a linked list of call sites that directly or indirectly target the portion of code in the current cache line. A determination is made as to whether the current cache line is to be evicted from the instruction cache. The linked list of call sites is processed to identify one or more rewritten branch instructions having associated branch stubs, that either directly or indirectly target the portion of code in the current cache line. In addition, the one or more rewritten branch instructions are rewritten to restore the one or more rewritten branch instructions to an original state based on information in the associated branch stubs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Brian Flachs, Brad W. Michael, Mark R. Nutter, John K.P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Tao Zhang
  • Publication number: 20110321021
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for arranging binary code to reduce instruction cache conflict misses. These mechanisms generate a call graph of a portion of code. Nodes and edges in the call graph are weighted to generate a weighted call graph. The weighted call graph is then partitioned according to the weights, affinities between nodes of the call graph, and the size of cache lines in an instruction cache of the data processing system, so that binary code associated with one or more subsets of nodes in the call graph are combined into individual cache lines based on the partitioning. The binary code corresponding to the partitioned call graph is then output for execution in a computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Brian Flachs, Brad W. Michael, Mark R. Nutter, John K.P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Tao Zhang
  • Publication number: 20110320785
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for dynamically rewriting branch instructions in a portion of code. The mechanisms execute a branch instruction in the portion of code. The mechanisms determine if a target instruction of the branch instruction, to which the branch instruction branches, is present in an instruction cache associated with the processor. Moreover, the mechanisms directly branch execution of the portion of code to the target instruction in the instruction cache, without intervention from an instruction cache runtime system, in response to a determination that the target instruction is present in the instruction cache. In addition, the mechanisms redirect execution of the portion of code to the instruction cache runtime system in response to a determination that the target instruction cannot be determined to be present in the instruction cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Brian Flachs, Brad W. Michael, Mark R. Nutter, John K.P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Tao Zhang
  • Publication number: 20110321002
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for rewriting branch instructions in a portion of code. The mechanisms receive a portion of source code having an original branch instruction. The mechanisms generate a branch stub for the original branch instruction. The branch stub stores information about the original branch instruction including an original target address of the original branch instruction. Moreover, the mechanisms rewrite the original branch instruction so that a target of the rewritten branch instruction references the branch stub. In addition, the mechanisms output compiled code including the rewritten branch instruction and the branch stub for execution by a computing device. The branch stub is utilized by the computing device at runtime to determine if execution of the rewritten branch instruction can be redirected directly to a target instruction corresponding to the original target address in an instruction cache of the computing device without intervention by an instruction cache runtime system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Brian Flachs, Brad W. Michael, Mark R. Nutter, John K.P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 8087010
    Abstract: Mechanisms for selective code generation optimization for an advanced dual-representation polyhedral loop transformation framework are provided. The mechanisms of the illustrative embodiments address the weaknesses of the known polyhedral loop transformation based approaches by providing mechanisms for performing code generation transformations on individual statement instances in an intermediate representation generated by the polyhedral loop transformation optimization of the source code. These code generation transformations have the important property that they do not change program order of the statements in the intermediate representation. This property allows the result of the code generation transformations to be provided back to the polyhedral loop transformation mechanisms in a program statement view, via a new re-entrance path of the illustrative embodiments, for additional optimization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandre E. Eichenberger, John K. P. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Nicolas T. Vasilache