Intel Corporation

Yazmin A Santiago

Martin Guy Dixon

William Rash

Edward Thomas Grochowski

Mishali Naik

William C Rash

A processor of an aspect includes a plurality of logical processors. A first logical processor of the plurality is to execute software that includes a memory access synchronization instruction that is to synchronize accesses to a memory. The processor also includes memory access synchronization relaxation logic that is to prevent the memory access synchronization instruction from synchronizing accesses to the memory when the processor is in a relaxed memory access synchronization mode.

Processors, methods, and systems to relax synchronization of accesses to shared memory

In an embodiment, a processor includes a plurality of cores. Each core includes a core power unit to detect one or more power management events, and in response to the one or more power management events, initiate a protected power management mode in the core. Software interrupts to the core may be disabled during the protected power management mode. The core is to execute power management code during the protected power management mode. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Protected power management mode in a processor

A method of an aspect is performed by a processor. The method includes receiving a partial width load instruction. The partial width load instruction indicates a memory location of a memory as a source operand and indicates a register as a destination operand. The method includes loading data from the indicated memory location to the processor in response to the partial width load instruction. The method includes writing at least a portion of the loaded data to a partial width of the register in response to the partial width load instruction. The method includes finishing writing the register with a set of bits stored in a remaining width of the register that have bit values that depend on a partial width load mode of the processor. The partial width load instruction does not indicate the partial width load mode. Other methods, processors, and systems are also disclosed.

Mode dependent partial width load to wider register processors, methods, and systems

A processor is operable to process conditional branches. The processor includes instruction fetch logic to fetch a conditional short forward branch. The conditional short forward branch is to include a conditional branch instruction and a set of one or more instructions that are to sequentially follow the conditional branch instruction in program order. The set of the one or more instructions are between the conditional branch instruction and a forward branch target instruction that is to be indicated by the conditional branch instruction. The processor also includes instruction conversion logic coupled with the instruction fetch logic. The instruction conversion logic is to convert the conditional short forward branch to a computationally equivalent set of one or more predicated instructions. Other processors are also disclosed, as are various methods and systems.

Converting conditional short forward branches to computationally equivalent predicated instructions

A processor of an aspect includes an instruction fetch unit to fetch a pair of instruction order enforcement instructions. The pair of instruction order enforcement instructions are part of an instruction set of the processor. The pair of instruction order enforcement instructions includes an activation instruction and an enforcement instruction. The activation instruction is to occur before the enforcement instruction in a program order. The processor also includes an instruction order enforcement module. The instruction order enforcement module, in response to the pair of the instruction order enforcement instructions, is to prevent instructions occurring after the enforcement instruction in the program order, from being processed prior to the activation instruction, in an out-of-order portion of the processor. Other processors are also disclosed, as are various methods, systems, and instructions.

Instruction order enforcement pairs of instructions, processors, methods, and systems

Embodiments of an invention for inter-processor attestation hardware are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes first attestation hardware associated with a first portion of a system. The first attestation hardware is to attest to a second portion of the system that the first portion of the system is secure.

Growing community of inventors

Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Yazmin A Santiago