International Business Machines Corporation

Scott Barnett Swaney

Tobias Webel

James Stephen Fields, Jr

Chung-Lung K Shum

Mark S Farrell

Michael F Fee

Kevin Franklin Reick

Thomas Pflueger

Kenneth Lundy Ward

Timothy Michael Skergan

Paul Frank Lecocq

Brian Chan Monwai

Michael James Mack

Walter Niklaus

Dung Q Nguyen

Hung Qui Le

Charles Franklin Webb

Jose Angel Paredes

Ulrich Weiss

Matthias Woehrle

Timothy John Slegel

Warren Edward Maule

Kevin Charles Gower

Patrick James Meaney

Timothy Jay Dell

Martin Recktenwald

Eric Eugene Retter

Edgar Rolando Cordero

Sanjeev Ghai

Susan Elizabeth Eisen

Bruce C Giamei

Timothy Carl Bronson

Jane Helen Bartik

Patrick M West, Jr

Arthur J O'Neill, Jr

Mark Andrew Brittain

Guenter Gerwig

Luiz Carlos Alves

Tobias Ulrich Bergmann

Dietmar Schmunkamp

Adolf Martens

David Patrick Hillerud

Christian Jacobi

Eric M Schwarz

Fadi Y Busaba

Balaram Sinharoy

Brian William Thompto

Philip George Emma

Naresh Nayar

William Joseph Armstrong

Matthias Klein

Anthony Thomas Sofia

William Vincent Huott

Pak-kin Mak

Richard Louis Arndt

Gary Franklin Goth

Aaron Tsai

Ulrich Mayer

John G Rell, Jr

Andrew J Geissler

Daniel J Kearney

Timothy Gerard McNamara

Michael Joseph Corrigan

James Wilson Bishop

Andreas Bieswanger

Thomas G Koehler

Ferenc Miklos Bozso

Timothy J Siegel

Algirdas J Gruodis

Eberhard Engler

Thomas Fuchs

Herwig Gustav Elfering

Jafar Nahidi

David F Heidel

Jerry Don Ackaret

Ra'ed Mohammad Al-Omari

Christopher Raymond Conklin

Bruce Wile

Alan Hlava

Ching-Lung L Tong

Yiu-Hing Chan

Ralf Ludewig

Sheryll H Veneracion

Kevin P Low

Naoko Pia Sanda

Jeffrey A Magee

Richard B Bhend

John D MacDougall

Hans-Juergen Muenster

Kurt A Grassmann

Oliver Marquardt

Jane Jones, Legal Representative

Udo H G Meyer

Robert F Hatch

Bruce Conrad Giamei

A system is provided and includes a plurality of machines. The plurality of machines includes a first generation machine and a second generation machine. Each of the plurality of machines includes a machine version. The first generation machine executes a first virtual machine and a virtual architecture level. The second generation machine executes a second virtual machine and the virtual architecture level. The virtual architecture level provides a compatibility level for a complex interruptible instruction to the first and second virtual machines. The compatibility level is architected for a lowest common denominator machine version across the plurality of machines. The compatibility level includes a lowest common denominator indicator identifying the lowest common denominator machine version.

Maintaining compatibility for complex functions over multiple machine generations

An aspect includes performing, for each of a plurality of hardware threads executing on a plurality of cores in a (SMP) computer system, receiving a value of a timer corresponding to the hardware thread, the timer counting a number of clock cycles since a last reset of the timer. The value of the timer is compared to a threshold value for the hardware thread, where the threshold value specifies a number of clock cycles. Based on the value of the timer meeting the threshold value, a control signal is sent to cause all hardware threads currently executing on the core to halt execution and data describing a state of the core is logged. Each of the timers corresponding to each of the plurality of hardware threads are configured to be reset, paused, and restarted independently of each of the other timers.

Task latency debugging in symmetric multiprocessing computer systems

Embodiments relate to implementing error data collection for a processor. Aspects of the embodiments include identifying a plurality of error state devices in a processor, each of the plurality of error state devices configured to hold a state indication, and organizing the plurality of error state devices as a sequence. Aspects also include collecting a plurality of state indications by serially sampling the state indication from each of the plurality of error state devices in an order corresponding to the sequence, sequentially storing the plurality of state indications as a single linear data array, and outputting the linear data array as a data structure. The data structure can include information regarding one or more error events based on one or more errors occurring in the processor.

Error checking using serial collection of error data

A pipelined processor including one or more units having storage locations not directly accessible by software instructions. The processor includes a load-store unit (LSU) in direct communication with the one or more units for accessing the storage locations in response to special instructions. The processor also includes a requesting unit for receiving a special instruction from a requestor and a mechanism for performing a method. The method includes broadcasting storage location information from the special instruction to one or more of the units to determine a corresponding unit having the storage location specified by the special instruction. Execution of the special instruction is initiated at the corresponding unit. If the unit executing the special instruction is not the LSU, the data is sent to the LSU. The data is received from the LSU as a result of the execution of the special instruction. The data is provided to the requester.

Obtaining data in a pipelined processor

Embodiments relate to embedded Dynamic Random Access Memory (eDRAM) refresh rates in a high performance cache architecture. An aspect includes receiving a plurality of first signals. A refresh request is transmitted via a refresh requestor to a cache memory at a first refresh rate which includes an interval, including a subset of the first signals. The first refresh rate corresponds to a maximum refresh rate. A refresh counter is reset based on receiving a second signal. The refresh counter is incremented after receiving each of a number of refresh requests. A current count is transmitted from a refresh counter to the refresh requestor based on receiving a third signal. The refresh request is transmitted at a second refresh rate, which is less than the first refresh rate. The refresh request is transmitted based on receiving the current count from the refresh counter and determining that the current count is greater than a refresh threshold.

Optimizing EDRAM refresh rates in a high performance cache architecture

The present invention provides an improved method for updating the settings of a processor or a processor core, respectively, concurrently to the operation of the respective processor system in which the processor or processor core, respectively, is running. This enables the insertion of new scan chain data and thus enabling the modification of the hardware characteristics of the processor.

Updating settings of a processor core concurrently to the operation of a multi core processor system

Controlling refresh request transmission rates in a cache comprising: a refresh requestor configured to transmit a refresh request to a cache memory at a first refresh rate, the first refresh rate comprising an interval, the interval comprising receiving a plurality of first signals, the first refresh rate corresponding to a maximum refresh rate, and a refresh counter operatively coupled to the refresh requestor and configured to reset in response to receiving a second signal, increment in response to receiving each of a plurality of refresh requests from the refresh requestor, and reset and transmit a current count to the refresh requestor in response to receiving a third signal, wherein the refresh requestor is configured to transmit a refresh request at a second refresh rate, in response to receiving the current count from the refresh counter and determining that the current count is greater than a refresh threshold.

A multiprocessor electronic circuit and an electronic data processing system comprising such circuit are disclosed for reducing the power consumption and the chip area consumption of a multiprocessor system having cryptographic functionality. In one embodiment, the multiprocessor electronic circuit comprises a plurality of processors, a single cryptographic processing unit that comprises a plurality of input/output buffer pairs and two cryptographic engines, a cipher engine and a hash engine, and associated control logic.

Multiprocessor electronic circuit including a plurality of processors and electronic data processing system

An architecture for collecting performance data in a processor, that includes: a trace read control unit and a trace data collect unit, each unit coupled to a plurality of trace array and multiplex units for providing performance data, the coupling accomplished by a trace read control bus, a data select bus, a trace row address bus and a data return bus; wherein each of the trace array and multiplex units receives a trace read signal and provides data including trace data and the trace read signal to the trace data collect unit. A method and a computer program product are provided.

Microarchitecture, method and computer program product for efficient data gathering from a set of trace arrays

A method and apparatus are disclosed for performing maintenance operations in a system using address, data, and controls which are transported through the system, allowing for parallel and serial operations to co-exist without the parallel operations being slowed down by the serial ones. It also provides for use of common shifters, engines, and protocols as well as efficient conversion of ECC to parity and parity to ECC as needed in the system. The invention also provides for error detection and isolation, both locally and in the reported status. The invention provides for large maintenance address and data spaces (typically 64 bits address and 64 bits data per address supported).

Method and apparatus for parallel and serial data transfer

A digital system and method of operating the same. The system comprises a processor chip including a first elastic interface domain, wherein the first elastic interface domain comprises a first processor X logic and a first processor Y logic, wherein the first processor X and Y logic comprise first X and Y latches, respectively; and a first ASIC chip electrically coupled to the processor chip, wherein the first processor X and Y logics are configured to be simultaneously in a functional mode, wherein the first processor X logic is configured to switch from the functional mode to a scanning mode while the first processor Y logic remains in the functional mode, and wherein in response to the first processor Y logic being in the functional mode, the first processor Y logic is configured to generate a first reference ASIC clock signal to the first ASIC chip.

Generating clock signals for coupled ASIC chips in processor interface with X and Y logic operable in functional and scanning modes

Illustrative embodiments disclose a data processing system providing low-level hardware access to in-band and out-of-band firmware. The data processing system includes a plurality of chips that includes at least one processor chip and a plurality of support chips. At least one processor chip includes a field replaceable unit support interface master that uses a field replaceable unit support interface serial transmission protocol to communicate with the plurality of support chips. Each one of the plurality of support chips includes a field replaceable unit support interface slave in, with ones of the plurality of chips that include a processor also include the field replaceable unit support interface master, and ones of the plurality of chips that do not include the processor include only the field replaceable unit support interface slave. Only the field replaceable unit support interface master possesses conversion logic.

Providing low-level hardware access to in-band and out-of-band firmware

A method for automatic scan completion in the event of a system checkstop in a processor. The processor includes: a processor register; a millicode interface connected between the processor register and a checkstop scan controller; a checkstop logic circuit connected between the checkstop scan controller and a checkstop scan engine; and a scan chain engine and a scan chain connected to the checkstop scan engine. The method includes (a) upon occurrence of a checkstop serially reading data from a processor register and serially writing the data to latches of a scan chain register; and (b) upon occurrence of a system checkstop during (a), stopping the reading and writing and moving data sent before the system checkstop from latches of the scan chain where the data was stored when the system checkstop occurred to latches where the data would have been stored if the system checkstop had not occurred.

Method and apparatus for automatic scan completion in the event of a system checkstop

A method and apparatus are provided for a support interface for memory-mapped resources. A support processor sends a sequence of commands over and FSI interface to a memory-mapped support interface on a processor chip. The memory-mapped support interface updates memory, memory-mapped registers or memory-mapped resources. The interface uses fabric packet generation logic to generate a single command packet in a protocol for the coherency fabric which consists of an address, command and/or data. Fabric commands are converted to FSI protocol and forwarded to attached support chips to access the memory-mapped resource, and responses from the support chips are converted back to fabric response packets. Fabric snoop logic monitors the coherency fabric and decodes responses for packets previously sent by fabric packet generation logic. The fabric snoop logic updates status register and/or writes response data to a read data register. The system also reports any errors that are encountered.

Method for indirect access to a support interface for memory-mapped resources to reduce system connectivity from out-of-band support processor

Growing community of inventors

Catskill, NY, United States of America

Scott Barnett Swaney