Efficient identification of candidate pages and dynamic response in a NUMA computer

Chapman Brock Bishop (Inventor), Eli Chiprout (Inventor), Nabil Elnozahy Elmootazbellah (Inventor), Brian Glasco David (Inventor), Ramakrishnan Rajamony (Inventor), Leigh Rawson, Iii Freeman (Inventor), Lynn Rockhold Ronald (Inventor)

Research output: Patent

Abstract

A performance monitor configured to count memory transactions and to issue an interrupt to the computer system if the monitor detects a specified number of transactions associated with a particular segment of the physical address space of the system. The monitor includes an interface suitable for coupling to an interconnect network of a computer system and configured to extract physical address information from a transaction traversing the interconnect network, a translation module adapted for associating the extracted physical address with one of a plurality of memory blocks and, in response thereto, incrementing a memory block counter corresponding to the memory block, and an interrupt unit configured to assert an interrupt if the block counter exceeds a predetermined value. The interface unit is configurable to selectively monitor either incoming or outgoing transactions and the translation unit preferably includes a plurality of region filters each comprising one or more of the memory blocks. In the preferred embodiment, the plurality of block counters are implemented with a random access memory device. In one embodiment useful for simulating operation of the system and for checking the design of the performance monitor, the monitor further includes a transaction generator coupled to the interconnect network and configured to issue specified remote memory transactions at specified intervals if a monitor enable bit of the performance monitor is disabled. In one embodiment, the transaction generator is configurable to issue either outgoing transactions or incoming transactions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Patent numberUS6499028
IPCG06F 12/ 08 A I
Priority date03/31/99
StatePublished - Dec 24 2002
Externally publishedYes

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