System, Apparatus And Method For Providing Power Monitoring Isolation In A Processor

At least one computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions, which if performed by a machine cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

• sending a first register write request with a predetermined power-related context identifier to a first core, to cause the first core to write the predetermined power-related context identifier into a power-related context register of the first core when the first core is to be idle;
• sending a second register write request with a first power-related context identifier to the first core, to cause the first core to write the first power-related context identifier into the power-related context register of the first core when the first core is to execute a first virtual machine, to cause the first core to maintain power measurement information regarding the execution of the first virtual machine on the first core;
• and
• receiving a request from the first virtual machine for power-related information of the first virtual machine and providing the request to a power controller of the processor to cause the power controller to send the power-related information of the first virtual machine to the first virtual machine.

A system comprising:

• a processor comprising:
• a plurality of cores, each of the plurality of cores comprising an execution circuit, a power measurement circuit to measure power consumption of the core and a power-related context register to store a context identifier to identify a guest to be executed on the core;
• and
• a power controller coupled to the plurality of cores, the power controller comprising:
• a plurality of energy status registers each associated with a power-related context identifier and to store energy consumption information of the guest to be executed on the core;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the plurality of energy status registers, wherein the control circuit is to enable each of a plurality of guests to independently monitor the energy consumption information of the guest and prevent each of the plurality of guests from monitoring the energy consumption information of other ones of the plurality of guests;
• and
• a system memory coupled to the processor, the system memory to store at least a portion of a host software.