Sharing translation lookaside buffer resources for different traffic classes

Abstract

Techniques are provided for managing address translation request traffic where memory access requests can be made with differing quality-of-service levels, which specify latency and/or bandwidth requirements. The techniques involve translation lookaside buffers. Within the translation lookaside buffers, certain resources are reserved for specific quality-of-service levels. More specifically, translation lookaside buffer slots, which store the actual translations, as well as finite state machines in a work queue, are reserved for specific quality-of-service levels. The translation lookaside buffer receives multiple requests for address translation. The translation lookaside buffer selects requests having the highest quality-of-service level for which an available finite state machine is available. The fact that finite state machines are reserved to particular quality-of-service levels means that if all such finite state machines for a particular quality-of-service level are used by pending translation requests, then the translation lookaside buffer does not accept more translation requests for that quality-of-service level.