Dynamic Resource Switching for Microprocessor Lifetime Extension

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for extending the lifetime reliability of microprocessor architectures, such as sparing techniques, graceful degradation, and voltage/frequency scaling, either incur high overhead costs, result in performance degradation, or fail to completely eliminate stress conditions leading to aging mechanisms in semiconductor devices.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that dynamically switches primary and secondary resources between operational and non-operational modes to suspend or reverse aging processes, using a resource operational mode controller, mapper, and transaction decoder to manage resource allocation and transaction routing, thereby extending the lifetime of microprocessor components while maintaining performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sparing techniques are used to extend system lifetime by activating spare resources when primary resources fail, then system reliability is improved, but area overhead increases significantly due to dedicated spare resources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem lifetimeVSAvoidarea overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Secondary resources are designed to serve multiple purposes: they can act as spares for primary resources during normal operation, and can be dynamically allocated to different primary resources as failures occur. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for dedicated spare resources for each primary resource, reducing area overhead while maintaining reliability extension capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements dynamic resource allocation where the mapping between primary and secondary resources can change over time based on failure patterns and workload requirements. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same secondary resources to serve different primary resources at different times, optimizing the use of limited spare resources and reducing the total area required

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Area of stationary object

If graceful degradation techniques are used to extend system lifetime by reconfiguring systems to isolate failed resources, then area overhead is reduced, but system performance degrades throughout lifetime

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearea overheadVSAvoidsystem performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between operational mode (high performance) and non-operational mode (lifetime extension) for primary resources. When resources are in non-operational mode, secondary resources take over to maintain performance, thus avoiding the performance degradation that would result from graceful degradation techniques while still extending system lifetime

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If voltage/frequency scaling techniques are used to extend system lifetime by reducing voltage and frequency, then aging is slowed down, but system performance degrades significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem lifetimeVSAvoidsystem performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments resources into primary and secondary categories, allowing selective application of lifetime extension techniques. Primary resources can operate at full voltage/frequency for high performance when needed, while secondary resources or selected primary resources can be placed in low-power states for aging mitigation, thus avoiding the performance degradation that would result from system-wide voltage/frequency scaling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Loss of energy

If power gating techniques are used to reduce leakage power during inactive intervals by deactivating header/footer transistors, then leakage current is reduced, but stress conditions and aging mechanisms are not completely eliminated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveleakage powerVSAvoidaging mechanisms

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies power gating techniques in advance during inactive intervals to reduce leakage power and mitigate aging. By proactively placing resources in low-power states before significant aging occurs, and by using secondary resources to take over during these intervals, the system accumulates less aging over time, thereby extending overall system lifetime while maintaining energy efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS7386851B1System and method for implementing dynamic lifetime reliability extension for microprocessor architectures

Publication Date: 2008.06.10 META PLATFORMS INC

AI summary

A system for implementing dynamic lifetime reliability extension for microprocessor architectures having a plurality of primary resources and a secondary resource pool of one or more secondary resources includes a resource operational mode controller configured to selectively switch of the primary and secondary resources between an operational mode and a non-operational mode, wherein the non-operational mode corresponds to a lifetime extension process; a resource mapper associated with the secondary resource pool and in communication with the resource operational mode controller, configured to map a secondary resource placed into the operational mode to a corresponding primary resource placed into the non-operational mode; and a transaction decoder configured to receive incoming transaction requests and direct the requests to one of a primary resource in the operational mode and a secondary resource in the operational mode, the secondary resource mapped to an associated primary resource placed in the non-operational mode.