Abstract: Each branch instruction having branch prediction support has branch prediction bits in architecture specified bit positions in the branch instruction. An instruction cache supports modifying the branch instructions with updated branch prediction bits that are dynamically determined when the branch instruction executes.

Abstract: Each branch instruction having branch prediction support has branch prediction bits in architecture specified bit positions in the branch instruction. An instruction cache supports modifying the branch instructions with updated branch prediction bits that are dynamically determined when the branch instruction executes.

Abstract: A system and method of managing a stack shared by multiple threads of a processor includes allocating a first portion of a shared stack to a first thread and allocating a second portion of the shared stack to a second thread.

Abstract: A data processing system includes a branch target buffer (BTB) including a plurality of entries, each entry comprising a tag portion and a long branch indicator. The system also includes segment target address storage circuitry which stores a plurality of segment target addresses, index storage circuitry which stores a plurality of indices for indexing into the segment target address storage circuitry, and control circuitry which receives an instruction address and determines whether the instruction address matches a valid entry in the BTB. When the instruction address matches a valid entry in the BTB and the long branch indicator of the valid entry indicates a long branch, the index storage circuitry provides a selected index of the plurality of indices selected by the received instruction address. In response to the selected index, the segment target address storage circuitry provides a selected segment target address as a higher order target address portion.