Metadata-Dependent ECC Processors for Low-Power Error Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing error correction systems in system memory face challenges in correcting errors when metadata is not known at the time of error detection, leading to inefficiencies and increased power consumption due to additional memory access and potential loss of error correction capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing metadata dependent error correction code (ECC) that combines metadata and ECC, allowing error correction without additional storage and maintaining existing ECC capabilities, and using processor instructions to retrieve metadata when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional ECC is used separately from metadata, then error correction can be performed, but additional memory access is required and power consumption increases when metadata is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines metadata and ECC into a single integrated structure called metadata-dependent ECC. This merging eliminates the need for separate storage and retrieval operations, reducing memory access cycles and associated power consumption while maintaining both metadata integrity and error correction capabilities
2Reliability
If metadata is stored separately from ECC, then data structure flexibility is maintained, but error correction robustness is reduced when metadata is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating metadata and ECC into a unified structure, the patent ensures that error correction can always be performed using the combined metadata-dependent ECC, even when metadata is not separately accessible. This integration strengthens error correction robustness without requiring complex separate management mechanisms
3Reliability
If additional memory access is performed to retrieve metadata, then error correction can be attempted, but productivity decreases due to increased access time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary integration of metadata and ECC during the data writing phase, creating a combined metadata-dependent ECC structure. This preliminary action eliminates the need for subsequent separate metadata retrieval operations, improving data access efficiency while maintaining error correction capability
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus includes a decode unit to decode an instruction. The instruction is to indicate address information corresponding to a location of data having one or more errors in system memory. The apparatus includes an execution unit to perform operations corresponding to the instruction. The operations include determining whether there is only a single metadata value, out of all possible metadata values of a given bit length, which allows a metadata dependent error correction code (ECC) to correct the one or more errors in the data. The metadata dependent ECC corresponds to the data and is stored in the system memory. The operations include either storing the single metadata value in a destination storage location if the determination is that there is only the single metadata value or else indicating the determination is that there is not only the single metadata value. Other apparatus, methods, systems, and instructions are disclosed.