Aggregate Memory Copy and Initialization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for copying and initializing memory blocks in computing systems are inefficient, requiring multiple instructions and causing performance slowdowns due to the need to relocate or initialize data entities one at a time, especially when destination addresses are not aligned.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that allow for simultaneous copying of multiple data entities by aligning destination addresses to a predetermined boundary, using a single machine language instruction to copy blocks of aggregate data size, rather than individual data entities, thereby optimizing the copy operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If data entities are copied one at a time using individual instructions, then each data entity can be copied accurately, but the execution time increases and application performance slows down

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecopy accuracyVSAvoidexecution time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple individual data entity copy operations into a single aggregate block copy operation. Instead of executing separate instructions for each data entity, the system performs a unified copy operation that transfers multiple data entities simultaneously, thereby reducing the total number of instructions executed and improving performance while maintaining copy accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the copy operation into aggregate blocks of data entities that can be copied simultaneously. By organizing data entities into structured blocks with aligned boundaries, the system enables parallel processing of multiple entities within a single instruction, reducing execution time while preserving individual entity integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If destination addresses are not aligned to predetermined boundaries, then the copy operation can handle arbitrary memory locations, but the copy efficiency decreases and requires sequential processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaddress flexibilityVSAvoidcopy efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary alignment calculations before executing the copy operation. By pre-computing the aligned boundary positions and adjusting the copy parameters accordingly, the system prepares the data layout to enable efficient aggregate copying. This preliminary action allows the system to maintain address flexibility while achieving optimal copy performance through aligned block operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS7761672B2Data movement and initialization aggregation

Publication Date: 2010.07.20 ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INC

AI summary

A system and method for copying and initializing a block of memory. To copy several data entities from a source region of memory to a destination region of memory, an instruction may copy each data entity one at a time. If an aggregate condition is determined to be satisfied, multiple data entities may be copied simultaneously. The aggregate condition may rely on an aggregate data size, the size of the data entities to be copied, and the alignment of the source and destination addresses.