Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing transactional memory (TM). The method includes: allocating a hardware-based transaction footprint recorder to the transaction, for recording footprints of the transaction when a transaction is begun; determining that the transaction is to be switched out; and switching out the transaction, where the footprints of the switched-out transaction are still kept in the hardware-based transaction footprint recorder. According to the present invention, transaction switching is supported by TM, and the cost of conflict detection between an active transaction and a switched-out transaction is greatly reduced since the footprints of the switched-out transaction are still kept in the hardware-based transaction footprint recorder.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for managing a translation look-aside buffer (TLB). The TLB is shared by a plurality of jobs. The method including the steps of: obtaining at least one attribute of each job of the plurality of jobs; assigning a priority level to each job according to at least one attribute of each job; and managing the related TLB entries of each job according to the priority level of each job. The present invention also provides an apparatus for managing TLB corresponding to the above method. The method and apparatus according to the present invention provide an efficient use of the shared TLB.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for managing a translation look-aside buffer (TLB). The TLB is shared by a plurality of jobs. The method including the steps of: obtaining at least one attribute of each job of the plurality of jobs; assigning a priority level to each job according to at least one attribute of each job; and managing the related TLB entries of each job according to the priority level of each job. The present invention also provides an apparatus for managing TLB corresponding to the above method. The method and apparatus according to the present invention provide an efficient use of the shared TLB.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, apparatus and article of manufacture, for fast context saving in transactional memory. The method creates a mapping table that includes entries corresponding to architectural registers. Each entry includes a physical register index and shadow bit of a first physical register mapped to an architectural register. In response to a detection that an update occurs to an architectural register in a transaction and its shadow bit being an invalid value, the method sets the shadow bit to be a valid value and sets a shadow register for the architectural register using the physical register index of the first physical register. The method maps a second physical register to the shadow register in order to save a modified value generated by an update process and saves the original value before the update process by use of the first physical register corresponding to the architecture register.