Adaptive event-guided system and method for avoiding voltage emergencies

A system for avoiding voltage emergencies comprising:

• a microprocessor;
• an actuator for throttling said microprocessor;
• a sensor for detecting voltage emergencies;
• a checkpoint recovery mechanism for recovery and resumption of execution after a voltage emergency occurs;
• and
• a voltage emergency predictor comprising:
• means for tracking control flow instructions and microarchitectural events;
• means for storing voltage emergency signatures corresponding to voltage emergencies detected by said voltage emergency detector, wherein each stored voltage emergency signature comprises a sequence of control-flow events and microarchitectural events leading up to a previously-detected voltage emergency;
• means for comparing current control flow and microarchitectural events with stored voltage emergency signatures to predict voltage emergencies;
• means for actuating said actuator to throttle said microprocessor to avoid predicted voltage emergencies.

A method for preventing voltage emergencies in a microprocessor comprising the steps of:

• tracking control flow instructions and microarchitectural events in said microprocessor;
• identifying voltage emergencies that occur in said microprocessor;
• storing voltage emergency signatures corresponding to identified voltage emergencies, wherein each voltage emergency signature comprises a sequence of control-flow events and microarchitectural events leading up to a detected voltage emergency;
• comparing current control flow and microarchitectural events in said microprocessor with stored voltage emergency signatures to predict impending voltage emergencies;
• and
• throttling said microprocessor to avoid said impending voltage emergencies.