Systems and methods for implementing weak stream software data and instruction prefetching using a hardware data prefetcher
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsKarthikeyan Avudaiyappan, Mohammad Abdallah
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Abstract
A method for weak stream software data and instruction prefetching using a hardware data prefetcher is disclosed. A method includes, determining if software includes software prefetch instructions, using a hardware data prefetcher, and, accessing the software prefetch instructions if the software includes software prefetch instructions. Using the hardware data prefetcher, weak stream software data and instruction prefetching operations are executed based on the software prefetch instructions, free of training operations.
Claims20
A method of weak stream software data and instruction prefetching, the method comprising:
- determining, using a hardware data prefetcher, if software executing on an associated processor comprises software prefetch instructions;
- and
- responsive to a determination that said software comprises said software prefetch instructions:
- accessing the software prefetch instructions, and
- using the hardware data prefetcher that has a capacity to perform prefetching for a number of streams to execute prefetching operations based on said software prefetch instructions, wherein the hardware data prefetcher is a weak stream prefetcher.
A prefetcher, comprising:
- a determiner to determine if software executing on an associated processor comprises software prefetch instructions;
- and
- a system to perform weak stream software data and instruction prefetching using a hardware data prefetcher that has a capacity to perform prefetching for a number of streams, the system comprising:
- an accessor to access said software prefetch instructions, wherein said accessor to perform said accessing responsive to a determination that said software comprises said software prefetch instructions, and
- an executor to execute weak stream software data and instruction prefetching operations based on said software prefetch instructions.
A processor comprising:
- a determiner to determine if software executing on an associated processor comprises software prefetch instructions;
- and
- a prefetcher, said prefetcher comprising:
- a system for weak stream software data and instruction prefetching using a hardware data prefetcher that has a capacity to perform prefetching for a number of streams, the system comprising:
- an accessor to access said software prefetch instructions, wherein said accessor performs said accessing responsive to a determination that said software comprises said software prefetch instructions, and
- an executor to execute weak stream software data and instruction prefetching operations based on said software prefetch instructions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.