High speed memory cloning facility via a lockless multiprocessor mechanism

A method for enabling dynamic, software selection of an interrupt mode of a data processing system that includes at least one processor that issues instructions on an external fabric of said data processing system, said method comprising:

• de-asserting an external interrupt (EE) bit that controls whether interrupts may occur;
• subsequently issuing instructions to the fabric and executing said instructions without external interrupts;
• and
• in response to receiving a software indication to enable the external interrupt,
• asserting the EE bit;
• and
• subsequently issuing instructions to the fabric for execution subject to the external interrupts.

A multiprocessor data processing system, comprising:

• a plurality of processor chips, each having a processor;
• a memory coupled to said plurality of processor chips;
• and
• wherein at least one processor includes means for:
• de-asserting an external interrupt (EE) bit that controls whether interrupts may occur;
• subsequently issuing instructions to the fabric and executing said instructions without external interrupts;
• and
• in response to receiving a software indication to enable the external interrupt,
• asserting the EE bit;
• and
• subsequently issuing instructions to the fabric for execution subject to the external interrupts.

A multiprocessor data processing system comprising:

• a first processor chip with a first processor;
• a second processor chip with a second processor;
• a memory subsystem interconnected to both said first and said second processor chip;
• a fabric that interconnects said memory subsystem and said first and said second processor;
• wherein a standard operating mode of said first and said second processors includes acquiring a lock on the fabric prior to executing a sequence of instructions that when placed on the fabric implements a data clone operation;
• and
• wherein said first processor and said second processor concurrently complete data clone operations by disabling an interrupt mode and executing said sequence of instructions without first acquiring a lock on the fabric.