International Business Machines Corporation

Thilo Maurer

Burkhard Steinmacher-Burow

Markus Buehler

Arni Ingimundarson

Hans Boettiger

Benedikt Rombach

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a processor core including an execution unit and a usage ratio controller. The execution unit is operable for executing a command forwarded to the execution unit. The usage ratio controller is operatively coupled with the execution unit. The usage ratio controller is operable for controlling a usage ratio of the execution unit. The usage ratio corresponds to the fraction of an observation time during which the execution unit is executing commands of an application. Other aspects of the disclosure relate to a method for detecting or analyzing a bottleneck in a processor core for a given application. The method includes controlling a usage ratio of at least one execution unit of the processor core and measuring the resulting application performance.

Partial computer processor core shutoff

A buffer is configured to store a plurality of last addresses accessed by a processor core from a memory. A minimum distance extraction circuit determines distances of a current memory address accessed by the processor core from each of the plurality of last addresses in the buffer and determines a minimum distance from the distances. A limit determination circuit compares the minimum distance to each of a plurality of ranges of distances and selects a range of the plurality of ranges within which the minimum distance falls. Each of a plurality of counters of a counter circuit is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of ranges. A counter of the plurality of counters is to be incremented corresponding to the selected range.

Hardware apparatus to measure memory locality

A computer implemented method for prefetching data for a processor into a first memory, wherein in a recording mode, a prefetching unit for a processor performs the steps of a method. The method includes: receiving one or more first addresses from the processor; filtering the one or more first addresses; providing a recording-list including the filtered one or more first addresses; receiving at least one second address from the processor; receiving a playback-list including all or a subset of the first addresses of the recording-list; comparing the at least one second address with each of the first addresses in the playback-list for identifying a matching address; if a matching address is identified, fetching data from a second memory; and transferring the fetched data to a first memory.

List-based prefetching

A computer implemented method for prefetching data. The method includes: receiving one or more addresses by a prefetching unit upon execution of an enqueuing command in a first piece of program logic; enqueuing each of the received addresses to a recording-list; identifying one of the positions in the recording-list as jump position; providing the identified jump position to a frame-shifter; using a sub-list of the recording-list defined by a shiftable frame as a playback-list; executing a frame-shift command which triggers the frame-shifter to shift the frame in dependence on the jump position to provide an updated playback-list; fetching data identified by the updated playback-list from a second memory; and transferring the fetched data to a first memory.

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Stuttgart, Germany

Thilo Maurer