Command fencing for memory-based communication queues

A system comprising:

• a memory device;
• and
• a command manager configured to enforce respective command execution policies for each of multiple queues according to respective command fence instructions, wherein the command manager is further configured to:
• receive a first packet comprising a first fence instruction and a first command for a first queue;
• responsive to the first fence instruction indicating fence participation, increment a fence counter and provide the first command to a memory controller of the memory device;
• and
• receive a first response message from the memory controller based on the first command and decrement the fence counter.

At least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor circuit of a memory system, cause the processor circuit to perform operations comprising:

• retrieving command packets from a memory-based command queue, wherein each command packet comprises respective instructions for a per-queue command fence;
• responsive to a fence initiation instruction in a first packet of the command packets:
• determining a counter value of a fence counter, the counter value indicating whether a fenced operation is underway;
• and
• responsive to the counter value indicating a new fenced operation can proceed, incrementing the counter value of the fence counter and providing a command from the first packet to the command execution unit;
• and
• responsive to a fence initiation instruction in a second packet of the command packets:
• determining the counter value of the fence counter indicates a different fenced operation is underway;
• and
• withholding a command from the second packet from the command execution unit;
• wherein the first and second packets comprise portions of the same queue.