Providing predictive instruction dispatch throttling to prevent resource overflows in out-of-order processor (oop)-based devices

Abstract

Providing predictive instruction dispatch throttling to prevent resource overflow in out-of-order processor (OOP)-based devices is disclosed. An OOP-based device includes a system resource that may be consumed or otherwise occupied by instructions, as well as an execution pipeline comprising a decode stage and a dispatch stage. The OOP further maintains a running count and a resource usage threshold. Upon receiving an instruction block, the decode stage extracts a proxy value that indicates an approximate predicted count of instructions within the instruction block that will consume a system resource. The decode stage then increments the running count by the proxy value. The dispatch stage compares the running count to the resource usage threshold before dispatching any younger instruction blocks. If the running count exceeds the resource usage threshold, the dispatch stage blocks dispatching of younger instruction blocks until the running count no longer exceeds the resource usage threshold.