Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Ati Technologies Ulc

Louis Regniere

Michael Mantor

Anthony Asaro

Mangesh P Nijasure

Gongxian Jeffrey Cheng

Ashkan Hosseinzadeh Namin

A graphics processing unit (GPU) adjusts a frequency of clock based on identifying a program thread executing at the processing unit, wherein the program thread is detected based on a workload to be executed. By adjusting the clock frequency based on the identified program thread, the processing unit adapts to different processing demands of different program threads. Further, by identifying the program thread based on workload, the processing unit adapts the clock frequency based on processing demands, thereby conserving processing resources.

Workload-based clock adjustment at a processing unit

A technique for efficient time-division of resources in a virtualized accelerated processing device ('APD') is provided. In a virtualization scheme implemented on the APD, different virtual machines are assigned different 'time-slices' in which to use the APD. When a time-slice expires, the APD performs a virtualization context switch by stopping operations for a current virtual machine (&#x201c;VM&#x201d;) and starting operations for another VM. Typically, each VM is assigned a fixed length of time, after which a virtualization context switch is performed. This fixed length of time can lead to inefficiencies. Therefore, in some situations, in response to a VM having no more work to perform on the APD and the APD being idle, a virtualization context switch is performed &#x201c;early.&#x201d; This virtualization context switch is &#x201c;early&#x201d; in the sense that the virtualization context switch is performed before the fixed length of time for the time-slice expires.

Early virtualization context switch for virtualized accelerated processing device

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Orlando, FL, United States of America

Louis Regniere