Systems and methods for locking branch target buffer entries

In a data processing system having a branch target buffer, a method comprising:

• determining a fullness level of the branch target buffer based on a number of valid entries in the branch target buffer;
• determining whether the fullness level of the branch target buffer has reached a fullness threshold;
• when the fullness level of the branch target buffer reaches the fullness threshold, locking one or more entries of the branch target buffer to cause the one or more entries to not be candidates for replacement;
• determining that a processor instruction results in a miss in the branch target buffer;
• selecting an entry of the branch target buffer for replacement which is not locked;
• and
• updating the selected entry with the processor instruction,
• wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine a fullness level of a set of the branch target buffer, and in response to the fullness level reaching the fullness threshold, asserting a lock indicator for one or more entries in the branch target buffer.

A data processing system, comprising:

• a processor configured to execute processor instructions;
• a branch target buffer having a plurality of entries, each entry configured to store a branch target address, a valid indicator, and a lock indicator, wherein the lock indicator indicates whether the entry is a candidate for replacement, and wherein the processor is configured to access the branch target buffer during execution of the processor instructions;
• storage circuitry configured to store a lock amount indicator, wherein the lock amount indicator indicates a percentage of entries of the branch target buffer;
• and
• control circuitry configured to determine a fullness level of the branch target buffer based on valid entries of the branch target buffer, wherein in response to the fullness level reaching a fullness threshold, the control circuitry is configured to assert the lock indicator of one or more entries of branch target buffer which achieves the percentage of entries of the branch target buffer indicated by the lock amount indicator to indicate that the one or more of the plurality of entries is not a candidate for replacement,
• wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine a fullness level of a set of the branch target buffer,
• wherein in response to the fullness level reaching the fullness threshold, asserting the lock indicator of one or more entries in the set which achieves the percentage of entries indicated by the lock amount indicator, and
• the branch target buffer is configured to, in response to a miss of a processor instruction in the branch target buffer, select an entry for replacement from entries of the branch target buffer whose lock indicator is not asserted.