US 9,003,417 B2 · Processor with resource usage counters for per-thread accounting

Abstract

Processor time accounting is enhanced by per-thread internal resource usage counter circuits that account for usage of processor core resources to the threads that use them. Relative resource use can be determined by detecting events such as instruction dispatches for multiple threads active within the processor, which may include idle threads that are still occupying processor resources. The values of the resource usage counters are used periodically to determine relative usage of the processor core by the multiple threads. If all of the events are for a single thread during a given period, the processor time is allocated to the single thread. If no events occur in the given period, then the processor time can be equally allocated among threads. If multiple threads are generating events, a fractional resource usage can be determined for each thread and the counters may be updated in accordance with their fractional usage.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of accounting for processor time usage in a processor core, comprising:

at periodic intervals, determining increments to be applied to resource usage counter circuits within the processor core according to amounts of usage of internal resources of the processor core by a plurality of threads executing within the processor core, each of the threads corresponding to one of the resource usage counter circuits;
at the end of the periodic interval, incrementing the resource usage counter circuits by the increments determined by the determining, wherein the counter circuits are incremented by different values according to differences in the amounts of usage of the internal resources of the processor core by their corresponding threads;
and
apportioning the processor time usage over a timebase cycle to respective threads of the plurality of threads in proportion to values contained in the resource usage counter circuits at the ends of the periodic intervals, wherein threads of the plurality of threads that use more of the resources are accounted a higher amount of the processor time usage.

1 more element

A processor core supporting concurrent execution of a plurality of threads, the processor core comprising:

a plurality of internal resources used by the plurality of threads and integrated within the processor core;
an instruction control unit coupled to the plurality of internal resources, wherein the instruction control unit controls a number of the internal resources used by the processor at periodic intervals;
a plurality of resource usage counter circuits integrated within the processor core, each of the resource usage counter circuits corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of threads;
a timebase counter for generating a processor usage measurement cycle timebase;
and
a logic circuit coupled to the instruction control unit, the timebase counter, and the resource usage counter circuits, wherein the logic circuit updates each of the resource usage counter circuits according to different increments determined from an amount of usage of internal processor core resources by the corresponding threads, wherein relative processor time usage among the plurality of threads over a cycle of the timebase counter is represented in values contained in the resource usage counter circuits, wherein threads of the plurality of threads that use more of the plurality of internal resources are accounted a higher amount of the processor time usage.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Processor with resource usage counters for per-thread accounting

Life of this patent

Processor with resource usage counters for per-thread accounting

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18