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AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorKevin J. McGrath
Estimating the term…
A processor, apparatus and method for storing segment descriptors of different sizes in a segment descriptor table are disclosed. Smaller segment descriptors may be segment descriptors similar to the x86 architecture definition, and larger segment descriptors may be used to provide virtual addresses (e.g. base addresses or offsets) having more the 32 bits. By providing a segment descriptor table that stores different sized segment descriptors, maintaining multiple segment descriptor tables for different operating modes may be avoidable while providing support for segment descriptors having addresses greater than 32 bits. In one embodiment, the larger segment descriptors may be twice the size of the smaller segment descriptors. The segment descriptor table may comprise entries, each capable of storing the smaller segment descriptor, and a larger segment descriptor may occupy two entries of the table. The larger segment descriptor may be a call gate descriptor, a local descriptor table descriptor or a task state segment descriptor.
A memory storing at least one descriptor table, the at least one descriptor table storing at least a first segment descriptor and a second segment descriptor, wherein the second segment descriptor is larger than the first segment descriptor.
An apparatus comprising:
A method comprising:
A processor comprising a memory management unit, wherein the memory management unit, in response to a first segment selector that identifies a first segment descriptor in a segment descriptor table, is configured to read the first segment descriptor from the segment descriptor table, and wherein the memory management unit, in response to a second segment selector that identifies a second segment descriptor in the segment descriptor table, is configured to read the second segment descriptor from the segment descriptor table, wherein the second segment descriptor is larger than the first segment descriptor.
A computer system comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.