US 9,317,892 B2Granted

Method and device to augment volatile memory in a graphics subsystem with non-volatile memory

AssigneeIntel Corporation

InventorsBryan E. Veal, Travis T. Schluessler, Murali Ramadoss, Balaji Vembu

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Abstract

Methods and devices to augment volatile memory in a graphics subsystem with certain types of non-volatile memory are described. In one embodiment, includes storing one or more static or near-static graphics resources in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). The NVRAM is directly accessible by a graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands. The method also includes a graphics processor executing a graphics application. The graphics processor sends a request using a memory load command for an address corresponding to at least one static or near-static graphics resources stored in the NVRAM. The method also includes directly loading the requested graphics resource from the NVRAM into a cache for the graphics processor in response to the memory load command.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

storing one or more static or near-static graphics resources in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), the NVRAM being directly accessible by a graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands;
executing, by a graphics processor, a graphics application, wherein the graphics processor sends a request using a memory load command for an address corresponding to at least one of the one or more static or near-static graphics resources stored in the NVRAM;
in response to the memory load command, directly loading the requested graphics resource from the NVRAM into a cache for the graphics processor;
storing a graphics processor memory management unit address map in a volatile memory location accessible to a graphics memory manager logic component;
managing, by the graphics memory manager logic component, a logical address to physical address map for each of a plurality of graphics resources related to the graphics application, the one or more static or near-static graphics resources being part of the plurality of graphics resources related to the graphics application;
and
including, by the graphics memory manager logic component, a static/near-static tag for each of the plurality of graphics resources in the graphics processor memory management unit address map, the static/near-static tag indicating the resource will not be dynamically changing in a frequent manner.

4 more elements

A method comprising:

executing a graphics application on a graphics processor, wherein during execution there are one or more dynamic state records, utilized by the graphics application, stored in a volatile memory and at least one or more static or near-static graphics resources, utilized by the graphics application, stored in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), the NVRAM being directly accessible by the graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands;
receiving a notification to suspend the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory;
in response to the notification to suspend, performing a first memory copy of the one or more dynamic state records from the volatile memory to the NVRAM;
after the one or more dynamic state records have been copied into the NVRAM, suspending the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory into a lower power state;
receiving a notification to resume the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory;
in response to the notification to resume, resuming the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory into an operational state;
performing a second memory copy of the one or more dynamic state records from the NVRAM back into the volatile memory;
and
resuming execution of the graphics application.

6 more elements

A device comprising:

graphics processor memory augmentation logic to:
store one or more static or near-static graphics resources in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), the NVRAM being directly accessible by a graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands, and
store a graphics processor memory management unit address map in a volatile memory location accessible to a graphics memory manager logic component;
a graphics processor to execute a graphics application, the graphics processor to at least send a request using a memory load command for an address corresponding to at least one of the one or more static or near-static graphics resources stored in the NVRAM;
a graphics memory controller to, in response to the memory load command, directly load the requested graphics resource from the NVRAM into a cache for the graphics processor;
and
the graphics memory manager logic component to:
manage a logical address to physical address map for each of a plurality of graphics resources related to the graphics application, the one or more static or near-static graphics resources being part of the plurality of graphics resources related to the graphics application, and
include a static/near-static tag for each of the plurality of graphics resources in the graphics processor memory management unit address map, the static/near-static tag to indicate the resource will not dynamically change in a frequent manner.

6 more elements

A device comprising:

a graphics processor to execute a graphics application, wherein during execution there are one or more dynamic state records, utilized by the graphics application, stored in a volatile memory and at least one or more static or near-static graphics resources, utilized by the graphics application, stored in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), the NVRAM being directly accessible by the graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands;
graphics processor memory augmentation logic to:
receive a notification to suspend the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory;
in response to the notification to suspend, perform a first memory copy of the one or more dynamic state records from the volatile memory to the NVRAM;
after the one or more dynamic state records have been copied into the NVRAM, suspend the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory into a low power state;
receive a notification to resume the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory;
in response to the notification to resume, resume the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory into an operational state;
and
direct a graphics memory controller to perform a second memory copy of the one or more dynamic state records from the NVRAM back into the volatile memory;
and
the graphics processor to resume execution of the graphics application.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.