Interrupt handler prediction method and system
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsRavi Kumar Arimilli, Robert Alan Cargnoni, Guy Lynn Guthrie, William John Starke
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Abstract
A method and system are disclosed for predicting, based on historical information, a second level interrupt handler (SLIH) to service an interrupt. The predicted SLIH is speculatively executed concurrently with a first level interrupt handler (FLIH), which determines the correct SLIH for the interrupt. If the predicted SLIH has been correctly predicted, execution of the SLIH called by the FLIH is discontinued, and the predicted SLIH completes execution. If the predicted SLIH is mispredicted, then the execution of the predicted SLIH is discontinued, and the SLIH called by the FLIH continues to completion.
Claims19
A method of interrupt handling within a processor, the method comprising:
- in response to a receipt of a process interrupt at the processor, predicting execution of an interrupt handler based upon prior execution history;
- speculatively executing the predicted interrupt handler;
- and
- after initiating speculative execution of the predicted interrupt handler, resolving the speculative execution as correctly predicted or mispredicted.
A processor comprising:
- at least one execution unit;
- an instruction sequencing unit coupled to the at least one execution unit;
- and
- an interrupt handler prediction table coupled to the instruction sequencing unit, wherein the interrupt handler prediction table predicts an execution of one of a plurality of interrupt handlers in response to the processor receiving an interrupt based upon a history of interrupt handler execution maintained within the interrupt handler prediction table, and wherein the instruction sequencing unit directs the at least one execution unit to execute the predicted interrupt handler.
A processor comprising:
- means, responsive to a receipt of a process interrupt at the processor, for predicting execution of an interrupt handler based upon prior execution history;
- means for speculatively executing the predicted interrupt handler;
- and
- means for, after initiating speculative execution of the predicted interrupt handler, resolving the speculative execution as correctly predicted or mispredicted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.