Intel Corporation

Steven E Raasch

Shubhendu Sekhar Mukherjee

Arijit Biswas

Glenn J Hinton

Deborah T Marr

Ronak Singhal

John G Holm

Sebastien Hily

Paul B Racunas

Joel S Emer

Adrian C Moga

Michael D Powell

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for controlling redundant execution such that if an exceptional event occurs, the redundant execution is stopped, non-redundant execution is performed in one of the threads until the exceptional event has been-resolved, after which a state of the threads is synchronized, and redundant execution is continued. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Controlling non-redundant execution in a redundant multithreading (RMT) processor

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for providing a cache block in an exclusive state to a first cache and providing the same cache block in the exclusive state to a second cache when cores accessing the two caches are executing redundant threads. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Obtaining data for redundant multithreading (RMT) execution

An apparatus and method is described herein for replacing faulty core components. General purpose hardware is provided to replace core pipeline components, such as execution units. In the embodiment of execution unit replacement, a proxy unit is provided, such that mapping logic is able to map instruction/operations, which correspond to faulty execution units, to the proxy unit. As a result, the proxy unit is able to receive the operations, send them to general purpose hardware for execution, and subsequently write-back the execution results to a register file; it essentially replaces the defective execution unit allowing a processor with defective units to be sold or continue operation.

General purpose hardware to replace faulty core components that may also provide additional processor functionality

A redundant multithreading processor is presented. In one embodiment, the processor performs execution of a thread and its duplicate thread in parallel and determines, when in a redundant multithreading mode, whether or not to synchronize an operation of the thread and an operation of the duplicate thread.

Redundant multithreading processor

Embodiments of an invention for synchronizing redundant processors using state history are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes two processors, state storage for each processor, and control logic. Each processor is to execute the same instructions. The state storage is to store compressed processor state information for each instruction executed by the processors. The control logic is to synchronize the two processors based on entries from the state storage.

State history storage for synchronizing redundant processors

Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for reducing the uncorrectable error rate in a lockstepped dual-modular redundancy system are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes two processor cores, a micro-checker, a global checker, and fault logic. The micro-checker is to detect whether a value from a structure in one core matches a value from the corresponding structure in the other core. The global checker is to detect lockstep failures between the two cores. The fault logic is to cause the two cores to be resynchronized if there is a lockstep error but the micro-checker has detected a mismatch.

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Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America

Steven E Raasch