Adaptive Micro-Operation Dispatch for Power-Performance Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processor cores with redundant execution resources face challenges in optimizing power consumption and performance trade-offs, particularly when switching between different execution modes, leading to potential performance degradation due to frequency adjustments.
Innovation Solution
Implementing adaptive dynamic dispatch mechanisms that dynamically control the number of redundant execution units based on workload analysis, using counters and state machines to switch between modes, ensuring optimal performance and power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the processor switches between different execution modes to optimize power consumption, then power usage is improved, but performance degradation occurs due to frequency adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The processor implements dynamic mode switching between full-performance mode and reduced-power mode based on workload characteristics. The system dynamically adjusts the number of active execution units and clock frequency according to the mix of micro-operations being executed, allowing optimal power-performance tradeoffs without fixed operational states
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (clock frequency, number of active execution units) based on the detected workload mix. When the workload contains a high proportion of micro-operations suitable for reduced mode, the system transitions to lower frequency and fewer active units, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining adequate performance
2Productivity
If redundant execution units are utilized to improve performance, then productivity is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of always activating all redundant execution units, the system activates only the necessary number based on current workload demands. The partial activation strategy ensures sufficient performance for the given task while avoiding the power overhead of running all execution units at full capacity when they are not needed
3Speed
If the processor operates at higher frequency to maintain performance during mode switching, then speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processor dynamically adjusts clock frequency based on the operational mode and workload characteristics. When transitioning to reduced-power mode, the frequency is lowered appropriately, and when switching to full-performance mode, frequency is increased. This dynamic frequency scaling maintains performance when needed while reducing power consumption during lighter or more efficient workloads
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments systems for adaptive dynamic dispatch of micro-operations are disclosed. An embodiment includes redundant execution units; a dispatcher to dispatch micro-operations to the redundant execution units, the micro-operations having multiple micro-operation types; a first counter to generate a first count of dispatches, during a window, of micro-operations having a first type; a second counter to generate a second count of dispatches, during the window, of micro-operations having any type; control hardware to cause a switch between a first mode and a second mode based in part on the first count and the second count; and a dispatcher to, in the first mode, dispatch micro-operations having the first type to only a subset of the redundant execution units, and, in the second mode, is to dispatch micro-operations having the first type to all of the redundant execution units.