Abstract: System and method determining metric for selective caching, comprising determining a result of an access to a cache for at least one tracked attribute; determining a count value for the at least one tracked attribute in a translation look-aside buffer entry corresponding to the access to the cache in accordance with the determined result; comparing the count value for the at least one tracked attribute with a threshold associated with the at least one tracked attribute; assigning the metric of sticky property to a cache line corresponding to the translation look-aside buffer entry when the count value for at least one of the at least one tracked attribute exceeds the threshold. Selective caching then assigns different protection status to the cache lines with and without sticky property; and evicting a cache line in accordance with a cache eviction policy starting with the cache lines with the lowest protection status.

Abstract: The described embodiments include a computing device with a first entity and a second entity. In the computing device, a management controller dynamically sets a power-state limit for the first entity based on a performance coupling and a thermal coupling between the first entity and the second entity.

Abstract: Power gating decisions can be made based on measures of cache dirtiness. Analyzer logic can selectively power gate a component of a processor system based on a cache dirtiness of one or more caches associated with the component. The analyzer logic may power gate the component when the cache dirtiness exceeds a threshold and may maintains the component in an idle state when the cache dirtiness does not exceed the threshold. Idle time prediction logic may be used to predict a duration of an idle time of the component. The analyzer logic may then selectively power gates the component based on the cache dirtiness and the predicted idle time.

Abstract: Managing memory access requests to a cache system including one or more cache levels that are configured to store cache lines that correspond to memory blocks in a main memory includes: storing stream information identifying recognized streams that were recognized based on previously received memory access requests, where one or more of the recognized streams comprise strided streams that each have an associated strided prefetch result corresponding to a stride that is larger than or equal to a size of a single cache line; and determining whether or not a next cache line prefetch request corresponding to a particular memory access request will be made based at least in part on whether or not the particular memory access request matches a strided prefetch result for at least one strided stream, and a history of past next cache line prefetch requests.

Abstract: Various apparatus and methods using phase change materials are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of operating a computing device that has a first semiconductor chip with a first phase change material and a second semiconductor chip with a second phase change material is provided. The method includes determining if the first semiconductor chip phase change material has available thermal capacity. If the first semiconductor chip phase change material has available thermal capacity then the first semiconductor chip is instructed to operate in sprint mode. The first semiconductor chip is instructed to perform a first computing task while in sprint mode.

Abstract: A method of way prediction for a data cache having a plurality of ways is provided. Responsive to an instruction to access a stack data block, the method accesses identifying information associated with a plurality of most recently accessed ways of a data cache to determine whether the stack data block resides in one of the plurality of most recently accessed ways of the data cache, wherein the identifying information is accessed from a subset of an array of identifying information corresponding to the plurality of most recently accessed ways; and when the stack data block resides in one of the plurality of most recently accessed ways of the data cache, the method accesses the stack data block from the data cache.

Abstract: A processing system includes one or more processing units to perform operations and one or more sensors to measure a temperature concurrently with the one or more processing units performing the operations. The processing system also includes a controller to receive feedback indicating the temperature and to determine a peak temperature and a thermal time constant for heating of the processing system based on a comparison of the measured temperature to a first temperature that is predicted based on the peak temperature and a previously determined thermal time constant for heating. Some embodiments of the controller can control a performance state of the processing system based on the peak temperature and the thermal time constant for heating of the processing system.

Abstract: System and method determining metric for selective caching, comprising determining a result of an access to a cache for at least one tracked attribute; determining a count value for the at least one tracked attribute in a translation look-aside buffer entry corresponding to the access to the cache in accordance with the determined result; comparing the count value for the at least one tracked attribute with a threshold associated with the at least one tracked attribute; assigning the metric of sticky property to a cache line corresponding to the translation look-aside buffer entry when the count value for at least one of the at least one tracked attribute exceeds the threshold. Selective caching then assigns different protection status to the cache lines with and without sticky property; and evicting a cache line in accordance with a cache eviction policy starting with the cache lines with the lowest protection status.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for methods and systems for mapping virtual memory pages to physical memory pages by analyzing a sequence of memory-bound accesses to the virtual memory pages, determining a degree of contiguity between the accessed virtual memory pages, and mapping sets of the accessed virtual memory pages to respective single physical memory pages. Embodiments are also described for a method for increasing locality of memory accesses to DRAM in virtual memory systems by analyzing a pattern of virtual memory accesses to identify contiguity of accessed virtual memory pages, predicting contiguity of the accessed virtual memory pages based on the pattern, and mapping the identified and predicted contiguous virtual memory pages to respective single physical memory pages.

Abstract: To efficiently transfer of data from a cache to a memory, it is desirable that more data corresponding to the same page in the memory be loaded in a line buffer. Writing data to a memory page that is not currently loaded in a row buffer requires closing an old page and opening a new page. Both operations consume energy and clock cycles and potentially delay more critical memory read requests. Hence it is desirable to have more than one write going to the same DRAM page to amortize the cost of opening and closing DRAM pages. A desirable approach is batch write backs to the same DRAM page by retaining modified blocks in the cache until a sufficient number of modified blocks belonging to the same memory page are ready for write backs.

Abstract: A system and method for efficient predicting and processing of memory access dependencies. A computing system includes control logic that marks a detected load instruction as a first type responsive to predicting the load instruction has high locality and is a candidate for store-to-load (STL) data forwarding. The control logic marks the detected load instruction as a second type responsive to predicting the load instruction has low locality and is not a candidate for STL data forwarding. The control logic processes a load instruction marked as the first type as if the load instruction is dependent on an older store operation. The control logic processes a load instruction marked as the second type as if the load instruction is independent on any older store operation.

Abstract: The described embodiments include a computing device with one or more entities (processor cores, processors, etc.). In some embodiments, during operation, a thermal power management unit in the computing device uses a linear prediction to compute a predicted duration of a next idle period for an entity based on the duration of one or more previous idle periods for the entity. Based on the predicted duration of the next idle period, the thermal power management unit configures the entity to operate in a corresponding idle state.

Abstract: A level of cache memory receives modified data from a higher level of cache memory. A set of cache lines with an index associated with the modified data is identified. The modified data is stored in the set in a cache line with an eviction priority that is at least as high as an eviction priority, before the modified data is stored, of an unmodified cache line with a highest eviction priority among unmodified cache lines in the set.

Abstract: A system and method are presented. Some embodiments include a processing unit, at least one memory coupled to the processing unit, and at least one cache coupled to the processing unit and divided into a series of blocks, wherein at least one of the series of cache blocks includes data identified as being in a modified state. The modified state data is flushed by writing the data to the at least one memory based on a write back policy and the aggressiveness of the policy is based on at least one factor including the number of idle cores, the proximity of the last cache flush, the activity of the thread associated with the data, and which cores are idle and if the idle core is associated with the data.

Abstract: To efficiently transfer of data from a cache to a memory, it is desirable that more data corresponding to the same page in the memory be loaded in a line buffer. Writing data to a memory page that is not currently loaded in a row buffer requires closing an old page and opening a new page. Both operations consume energy and clock cycles and potentially delay more critical memory read requests. Hence it is desirable to have more than one write going to the same DRAM page to amortize the cost of opening and closing DRAM pages. A desirable approach is batch write backs to the same DRAM page by retaining modified blocks in the cache until a sufficient number of modified blocks belonging to the same memory page are ready for write backs.

Abstract: The described embodiments include a core that uses predictions for store-to-load forwarding. In the described embodiments, the core comprises a load-store unit, a store buffer, and a prediction mechanism. During operation, the prediction mechanism generates a prediction that a load will be satisfied using data forwarded from the store buffer because the load loads data from a memory location in a stack. Based on the prediction, the load-store unit first sends a request for the data to the store buffer in an attempt to satisfy the load using data forwarded from the store buffer. If data is returned from the store buffer, the load is satisfied using the data. However, if the attempt to satisfy the load using data forwarded from the store buffer is unsuccessful, the load-store unit then separately sends a request for the data to a cache to satisfy the load.

Abstract: A multi-core data processor includes multiple data processor cores and a circuit. The multiple data processor cores each include a power state controller having a first input for receiving an idle signal, a second input for receiving a release signal, a third input for receiving a control signal, and an output for providing a current power state. In response to the idle signal, the power state controller causes a corresponding data processor core to enter an idle state. In response to the release signal, the power state controller changes the current power state from the idle state to an active state in dependence on the control signal. The circuit is coupled to each of the multiple data processor cores for providing the control signal in response to current power states in the multiple data processor cores.

Abstract: A method of partitioning a data cache comprising a plurality of sets, the plurality of sets comprising a plurality of ways, is provided. Responsive to a stack data request, the method stores a cache line associated with the stack data in one of a plurality of designated ways of the data cache, wherein the plurality of designated ways is configured to store all requested stack data.

Abstract: A processing device includes a plurality of components and a system management unit to selectively schedule an application phase to one of the plurality of components based on one or more comparisons of predictions of a plurality of thermal impacts of executing the application phase on each of the plurality of components. The predictions may be generated based on a thermal history associated with the application phase, thermal sensitivities of the plurality of components, or a layout of the plurality of components in the processing device.

Abstract: A circuit includes a plurality of synchronizers to adapt a signal from a first clock domain to a second clock domain. Each synchronizer of the plurality of synchronizers includes a synchronizer input to receive the signal from the first clock domain and a synchronizer output to provide the signal as adapted to the second clock domain. The circuit also includes a multiplexer (mux) that includes a plurality of mux inputs and a mux output. Each mux input is coupled to the synchronizer output of a respective synchronizer of the plurality of synchronizers. The mux output provides the signal, as adapted to the second clock domain, from the synchronizer output of a selected synchronizer of the plurality of synchronizers.