Memory Access Override via Context Specifier

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current computing systems face a trade-off between memory access speed and storage capacity, with fast memories having limited capacity and large-capacity memories having slow access speeds, leading to inefficiencies in data transfer and optimization.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves overriding the page table data structure and translation lookaside buffer (TLB) by using a context specifier to generate or translate virtual addresses directly to physical addresses, bypassing traditional page table data structures and TLB operations when necessary, thereby optimizing memory access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If traditional page table and TLB translation methods are used, then address translation is performed through established mechanisms, but memory access latency increases and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory access latencyVSAvoidpage table and TLB structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the address translation function from the traditional page table and TLB hierarchy, implementing a simplified direct translation mechanism that bypasses the complex multi-level page table structure while maintaining the essential virtual-to-physical address translation capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of translating virtual addresses through the conventional path of TLB lookup then page table walk, the patent inverts the approach by using context specifiers to directly generate or translate physical addresses, reversing the traditional translation flow and eliminating intermediate lookup steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Speed

If context specifier with override capability is implemented, then memory access speed improves by bypassing page table, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory access speedVSAvoidcontext specifier mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The context specifier is pre-configured with base addresses, adjustments, and override indicators before memory access operations begin, allowing the system to skip translation lookups by using pre-computed address information that is already prepared in the context specifier registers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The override capability is applied locally and selectively through the page table entry override indicator, allowing specific context specifiers to bypass page table translation only when needed, rather than requiring a complete system-wide architectural change

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8700883B1Memory access techniques providing for override of a page table

Publication Date: 2014.04.15 NVIDIA CORP

AI summary

A memory access technique that provides for overriding a translation lookaside buffer and page table data structure, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes selectively translating a virtual address directly to a physical address utilizing an adjustment in a context specifier, or translating the virtual address to the physical address utilizing a translation lookaside buffer or page table data structure.