Apparatus and method for maintaining a floating point data segment selector

The method of clam 1, further comprising:

• detecting, by a floating point selector update device, a write to a floating point segment selector control register;
• once detected, reading floating point data segment selector information from the floating point selector control register;
• and
• storing the floating point data segment selector information within a corresponding portion of a register file.

A computer readable storage medium including program instructions that direct a computer to function in a specified manner when executed by a processor, the program instructions comprising:

• detecting, during a system clock cycle retirement window, a micro-operation of a memory referencing macro-instruction;
• when the detected micro-operation triggers an event, triggering a micro-code event handler to initiate an update of a floating point data segment selector information associated with the detected micro-operation;
• and
• otherwise, triggering a device to update the floating point data segment selector information associated with the detected micro-operation.

The computer readable storage medium of clam 12, further comprising:

• detecting, by a floating point selector update device, a write to a floating point segment selector control register;
• once detected, reading floating point data segment selector information from the floating point selector control register;
• and
• storing the floating point data segment selector information within a corresponding portion of a register file.

A system comprising:

• a processor including micro-code to implement a micro-code event handler;
• a floating point segment selector update device coupled to the processor via a bus to update floating point segment selector information associated with detected micro-operations of memory referencing macro-instructions;
• a retirement unit, coupled to the processor via the bus, to detect, during a system clock cycle retirement window, a micro-operation of a memory referencing macro-instruction,
• wherein when the detected micro-operation triggers an event, the retirement unit triggers the micro-code event handler to initiate an update of floating point segment selector information associated with the detected micro-operation, and otherwise, triggers the floating point update device to update the floating point segment selector information associated with the detected micro-operation.