Learning and cache management in software defined contexts

A method of optimizing a computer program, the computer program capable of being executed on a processor-based system, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing at least one marker in the computer program, wherein each of the at least one marker marks distinct computer instruction sections in the computer program;
• executing the computer program;
• determining whether a first computer instruction from one of the marked sections has been executed;
• determining whether execution of the first computer instruction requires an external data access;
• and
• optimizing the marked section of the computer program that includes the first instruction to reduce processor stalls associated with the at least one external data access when the first computer instruction is determined to have been executed and required an external data access,
• wherein the optimizing comprises:
• monitoring data access patterns in executing the marked section;
• storing information related to the data access pattern;
• retrieving the information related to the data access patterns when the at least one marker is reached;
• and
• executing one of a cache state update operation or a prefetch instruction operation using the retrieved information.

A method of optimizing a computer program, the computer program capable of being executed on a processor-based system, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing at least one marker in the computer program, wherein each marker is an executable instruction that is associated with a preferred processor optimization engine state and marks distinct computer instruction sections within the computer program;
• executing the computer program;
• determining whether a first of the markers has been executed;
• and
• updating a processor optimization engine state to the preferred processor optimization engine state associated with the first marker prior to the execution of the computer instruction section marked by the first marker to reduce stalls of at least one processor of the system associated with the section,
• wherein during the preferred engine state, the engine performs:
• monitoring of data access patterns in executing the corresponding marked section;
• storing information related to the data access pattern;
• retrieving the information related to the data access patterns when the corresponding marker is reached;
• and
• executing one of a cache state update operation or a prefetch instruction operation using the retrieved information.