US 9,069,603 B2 · Transactional memory that performs an atomic metering command

Abstract

A transactional memory (TM) receives an Atomic Metering Command (AMC) across a bus from a processor. The command includes a memory address and a meter pair indicator value. In response to the AMC, the TM pulls an input value (IV). The TM uses the memory address to read a word including multiple credit values from a memory unit. Circuitry within the TM selects a pair of credit values, subtracts the IV from each of the pair of credit values thereby generating a pair of decremented credit values, compares the pair of decremented credit values with a threshold value, respectively, thereby generating a pair of indicator values, performs a lookup based upon the pair of indicator values and the meter pair indicator value, and outputs a selector value and a result value that represents a meter color. The selector value determines the credit values written back to the memory unit.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A transactional memory comprising:

a memory that stores a table including a plurality of meter pairs, each meter pair including a long term credit value and a short term credit value;
means for receiving an Atomic Metering Command (AMC) and in response performing an AMC operation such that the transactional memory does not fetch instructions, wherein a memory address is included in the AMC, wherein the memory address is used to read a word out of the memory, and wherein the word includes the long term credit value and the short term credit value;
and
means for subtracting an input value from the long term credit value and the short term credit value, thereby generating a pair of decremented credit values.

1 more element

A method comprising:

(a) receiving an Atomic Metering Command (AMC) from a first processor onto a second processor, wherein a memory unit is coupled to the second processor;
(b) receiving an input value (IV);
(c) using a memory address to read a word out of the memory unit, wherein the memory address is included in the AMC, and wherein the word includes a plurality of credit values;
(d) storing the plurality of credit values and the IV into a storage device coupled to the second processor;
(e) selecting a pair of credit values from the plurality of credit values;
(f) subtracting the IV from the pair of credit values, thereby generating a pair of decremented credit values;
(g) determining if each of the decremented credit values generated in (f) is greater than a threshold value;
and
(h) determining a meter color based upon the determination in (g) and returning a result value representing the meter color to the first processor;
wherein (b) through (h) are performed by the second processor.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Transactional memory that performs an atomic metering command

Life of this patent

Transactional memory that performs an atomic metering command

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15