International Business Machines Corporation

Dominic Ditomaso

Alper Buyuktosunoglu

Brian Robert Prasky

James J Bonanno

Adam B Collura

Edward Thomas Malley

David Trilla Rodriguez

Craig Raymond Walters

James Raymond Cuffney

Ram Sai Manoj Bamdhamravuri

Processing within a computing environment is facilitated by using cache hit-miss predictions. A cache hit-miss prediction is determined for a memory access instruction using a predictor. One or more speculative actions are controlled, based on determining the cache hit-miss prediction is a miss. The controlling is further based on a type of cache design.

Controlling speculative actions based on a hit/miss predictor

Examples described herein provide a computer-implemented method that includes generating an extended hot line table that tracks cross-core contended cache lines for multiple processors of a processing system based on cache requests, the extended hot line table storing at least metadata for a cross-core contended cache line. The method further includes polling, using firmware, the extended hot line table in each of the multiple processors of the processing system to identify contention information. The method further includes aggregating the contention information from each of the multiple processors to generate aggregated contention information. The method further includes processing subsequent cache requests using the aggregated contention information.

Detecting and mitigating false structure sharing within a cache line

A cache hit-miss prediction is determined for a memory access instruction using a predictor. The predictor includes a tracker for the memory access instruction. The tracker is used to provide a prediction confidence level of the cache hit-miss prediction for the memory access instruction. Using the tracker, the prediction confidence level of the cache hit-miss prediction is ascertained. Based on the prediction confidence level indicating the cache hit-miss prediction is to be used, the cache hit-miss prediction is provided to be used in instruction execution scheduling.

Instruction execution scheduling using a hit/miss predictor

Embodiments for a metadata predictor. An index pipeline generates indices in an index buffer in which the indices are used for reading out a memory device. A prediction cache is populated with metadata of instructions read from the memory device. A prediction pipeline generates a prediction using the metadata of the instructions from the prediction cache, the populating of the prediction cache with the metadata of the instructions being performed asynchronously to the operating of the prediction pipeline.

Metadata predictor

Embodiments include storing return addresses for a branch-target-buffer. Aspects include receiving a first instruction and based on a determination that the first instruction is a branch instruction and potentially a call, storing a return address associated with the branch instruction in a prediction return address table, wherein the prediction return address table includes an entry that corresponds to an index value that is created based on a target address of the first instruction, and wherein the entry includes the return address that is created based on an address of a sequential instruction of the first instruction. Aspects also include receiving a second instruction and based on a determination that the second instruction is predicted to be a return instruction with a predicted return address table index value from the branch-target-buffer, using the index value to select the return address to predict as the target address.

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Hyde Park, NY, United States of America

Dominic Ditomaso