Delegated Virtualization Across Physical Partitions in Multi-Core Processors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Symmetric multi-core processors (MCPs) suffer from low utilization and design inflexibility, leading to high power consumption and inefficiency due to unused sub-processing elements (SPEs) that remain in standby mode, complicating optimization as processor dimensions increase.
Innovation Solution
The delegation of functionality from main processing elements (MPEs) to sub-processing elements (SPEs across physical partitions, enabling pseudo MPEs to use pseudo virtualized control threads to manage logical partitions, thereby optimizing hardware and compiler design complexity and power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If SPEs are kept in standby mode to maintain design simplicity, then device complexity is reduced, but power consumption increases and utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically transitions SPEs between standby and active states based on workload requirements. The MPE can delegate virtualization control to SPEs, transforming them into pseudo-MPEs that actively manage logical partitions, thereby reducing continuous power consumption while maintaining design simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
SPEs equipped with delegated virtualization capability can autonomously manage their own activation and control logical partitions without requiring constant MPE intervention. This self-service mechanism reduces overall system complexity while enabling efficient power management through on-demand activation.
2Productivity
If more SPEs are activated to increase utilization, then productivity improves, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
SPEs are designed with universal capability to function either as standard sub-processing elements or as pseudo-MPEs with virtualization control. This multi-functionality allows the system to activate additional processing capacity without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the same hardware components adapt their roles based on delegation from the MPE.
3Ease of manufacture
If physical partitions are used to reduce design complexity, then ease of manufacture improves, but adaptability decreases due to inability to traverse physical boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
The MPE acts as an intermediary that enables virtualization delegation across physical partition boundaries. By introducing this mediation layer, the system maintains simple physical partitioning for ease of manufacture while achieving high adaptability through software-defined virtualization that can span multiple physical partitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtualization dimension that operates independently of physical partition boundaries. Virtual logical partitions can be formed by aggregating SPEs from multiple physical partitions, adding a new organizational dimension that provides adaptability without compromising the simplicity of physical hardware design.
4Reliability
If MPE controls all SPEs directly, then reliability is maintained, but productivity decreases due to control bottlenecks
Solution Approach 1:
The control function is segmented by delegating virtualization management from the MPE to selected SPEs that become pseudo-MPEs. This segmentation distributes control responsibilities, reducing the MPE's control bottleneck and increasing overall processing throughput while maintaining reliability through the structured delegation hierarchy.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes an apparatus, computer architecture, method, operating system, compiler, and application program products for MPEs as well as virtualization across physical boundaries that define physical partitions in a symmetric MCP. Among other things, the disclosure is applied to a generic microprocessor architecture with a set (e.g., one or more) of controlling/main processing elements (e.g., MPEs) and a set of groups of sub-processing elements (e.g., SPEs). The arrangement also enables MPEs to delegate functionality to one or more groups of SPEs such that those group(s) of SPEs may act as pseudo MPEs. Such delegation may occur across the physical boundaries. Regardless, the pseudo MPEs may utilize pseudo virtualized control threads to control the behavior of other groups of SPEs also across physical boundaries.