Hierarchical Interrupt Register Structure for Long-Running Recovery Actions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computing systems face performance bottlenecks due to excessive processing time spent handling interrupts, particularly when numerous or long-running interrupts require significant processing resources, leading to reduced system performance and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A hierarchical interrupt register structure is implemented, where root-level registers indicate interrupts at lower levels, allowing a system interrupt handler to selectively route interrupts to error handlers based on interrupt class and recovery time, enabling efficient handling and minimizing system interrupt handler occupancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the system interrupt handler processes all interrupts directly, then interrupt handling is simple, but system performance deteriorates due to excessive processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the interrupt handling structure into a hierarchical system with root-level registers and lower-level registers. The root-level register structure divides interrupt handling into multiple levels, allowing the system interrupt handler to quickly identify and delegate specific interrupt types to specialized error handlers, thereby reducing processing time and improving system performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary hierarchical register structure between the system interrupt handler and the error handlers. This intermediary structure enables efficient routing of interrupts by providing a structured interface that allows the system interrupt handler to quickly identify and delegate interrupts to appropriate error handlers without direct complex interactions
2Ease of operation
If the system interrupt handler handles long-running recovery actions, then all interrupts are processed centrally, but processing time increases reducing available time for computing threads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts long-running recovery actions from the central system interrupt handler and delegates them to specialized error handlers. By taking out these time-consuming operations from the main interrupt handling path, the system minimizes the time the system interrupt handler is occupied, allowing computing threads to resume execution more quickly
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-organizing error handlers and their associated registers in a hierarchical structure before interrupts occur. This pre-arranged structure allows the system interrupt handler to quickly identify and delegate appropriate interrupts without requiring complex decision-making during interrupt processing, thereby reducing processing time
Data Source
AI summary
A method, processor, and computer system for handling interrupts within a hierarchical register structure. The method includes receiving at a root-level register an indication of an interrupt occurring at a lower level register in the register structure, using a system interrupt handler to invoke an error handler assigned to a set of registers of the structure that includes the lower level register, and using the invoked error handler to handle the interrupt and return to the system interrupt handler.