Cavium, Inc.

Marvell Asia Pte., Ltd.

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Cavium Networks, Inc.

David Asher

Richard Eugene Kessler

Shubhendu Sekhar Mukherjee

Isam Wadih Akkawi

Bradley D Dobbie

Thomas Frederick Hummel

Michael S Bertone

Wilson Parkhurst Snyder, Ii

Daniel Edward Dever

David Albert Carlson

David K Carlson

Jason Daniel Zebchuk

John M Perveiler

Brian Lilly

Srilatha Manne

Robert A Sanzone

Craig Barner

Shahid Ikram

James Ellis

Kourosh Gharachorloo

Bryan Chin

Joel Grodstein

Patrick M Fitzgerald

Gregg Alan Bouchard

Xiaodong Wang

Yen C Lee

Steve Lang

Mike Bertone

Stephen C Root

Christopher J Comis

A network processor includes a memory subsystem serving a plurality of processor cores. The memory subsystem includes a hierarchy of caches. A mid-level instruction cache provides for caching instructions for multiple processor cores. Likewise, a mid-level data cache provides for caching data for multiple cores, and can optionally serve as a point of serialization of the memory subsystem. A low-level cache is partitionable into partitions that are subsets of both ways and sets, and each partition can serve an independent process and/or processor core.

Processor data cache with shared mid-level cache and low-level cache

Systems and methods of multi-chip processing with low latency and congestion. In a multi-chip processing system, each chip includes a plurality of clusters arranged in a mesh design. A respective interconnect controller is disposed at the end of each column. The column is linked to a corresponding remote column in the other chip. A share cache controller in the column is paired with a corresponding cache controller in the remote column, the pair of cache controllers are configured to control data caching for a same set of main memory locations. Communications between cross-chip cache controllers are performed within linked columns of clusters via the column-specific inter-chip interconnect controllers.

Low latency inter-chip communication mechanism in a multi-chip processing system

A memory request, including an address, is accessed. The memory request also specifies a type of an operation (e.g., a read or write) associated with an instance (e.g., a block) of data. A group of caches is selected using a bit or bits in the address. A first hash of the address is performed to select a cache in the group. A second hash of the address is performed to select a set of cache lines in the cache. Unless the operation results in a cache miss, the memory request is processed at the selected cache. When there is a cache miss, a third hash of the address is performed to select a memory controller, and a fourth hash of the address is performed to select a bank group and a bank in memory.

Methods and systems for distributing memory requests

Described is a computing system and method for differential cache block sizing for computing systems. The method for differential cache block sizing includes determining, upon a cache miss at a cache, a number of available cache blocks given a payload length of the main memory and a cache block size for the last level cache, generating a main memory request including at least one indicator for a missed cache block and any available cache blocks, sending the main memory request to the main memory to obtain data associated with the missed cache block and each of the any available cache blocks, storing the data received for the missed cache block in the cache; and storing the data received for each of the any available cache blocks in the cache depending on a cache replacement algorithm.

Differential cache block sizing for computing systems

Managing the messages associated with memory pages stored in a main memory includes: receiving a message from outside the pipeline, and providing at least one low-level instruction to the pipeline for performing an operation indicated by the received message. Executing instructions in the pipeline includes: executing a series of low-level instructions in the pipeline, where the series of low-level instructions includes a first (second) set of low-level instructions converted from a first (second) high-level instruction. The second high-level instruction occurs after the first high-level instruction within a series of high-level instructions, and delaying insertion of the low-level instruction provided for performing the operation into an insertion position within the series of low-level instructions, where the delaying causes the insertion position to be between a final low-level instruction converted from the first high-level instruction and an initial low-level instruction converted from the second high-level instruction.

Managing low-level instructions and core interactions in multi-core processors

Low latency inter-chip communication mechanism in multi-chip processing system

Shared mid-level data cache

Mid-level instruction cache

Managing instructions on a processor includes: identifying selected instructions as being associated with operations from a stored library of operations. The identifying includes, for instructions included in a particular thread executing on the processor, identifying first/second subsets of the instructions as being associated with a lock/unlock operation based on predetermined characteristics of the instructions. Managing lock/unlock operations associated with the selected instructions that are issued on a first processor core includes, for each instruction included in a first thread and identified as being associated with a lock operation corresponding to a particular lock, in response to determining that the particular lock has already been acquired, continuing to attempt to acquire the particular lock for multiple attempts using a lock operation different from the lock operation in the stored library.

Managing lock and unlock operations using operation prediction

Managing lock and unlock operations for a first thread executing on a first processor core includes, for each instruction included in the first thread and identified as being associated with: (1) a lock operation corresponding to a particular lock, in response to determining that the particular lock has already been acquired, continuing to perform the lock operation for multiple attempts during which the first processor core is not able to execute threads other than the first thread, or (2) an unlock operation corresponding to a particular lock, releasing the particular lock from the first thread. Prioritization of selected messages sent over interconnection circuitry configured to connect each processor core to a memory system of the processor is preserved. The selected messages associated with instructions identified as being associated with an unlock operation are prioritized over messages associated with instructions identified as being associated with a lock operation.

Managing lock and unlock operations using traffic prioritization

Managing lock and unlock operations for a first thread executing on a first processor core includes, for each instruction included in the first thread and identified as being associated with: (1) a lock operation corresponding to a particular lock stored in a particular memory location, in response to determining that the particular lock has already been acquired, continuing to perform the lock operation for multiple attempts using associated operation messages for accessing the particular memory location, or (2) an unlock operation corresponding to a particular lock stored in a particular memory location, releasing the particular lock from the first thread using an associated operation message for accessing the particular memory location. Selected operation messages associated with an unlock operation are prioritized over operation messages associated with a lock operation.

Managing fairness for lock and unlock operations using operation prioritization

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Sutton, MA, United States of America

David Asher