Microarchitecture Configuration for Interrupt Responsiveness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data processing systems face a trade-off between high performance during normal operations and responsiveness to interrupts, as performance-oriented microarchitecture configurations can reduce responsiveness to interrupt events.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating prediction circuitry to determine the anticipated time of next interrupts and dynamically adjusting the microarchitecture configuration between performance and responsiveness settings to enhance responsiveness when interrupts are imminent, while maintaining performance during other times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the microarchitecture circuitry is configured for high performance during normal operations, then the overall system performance is improved, but the responsiveness to interrupt events deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The microarchitecture circuitry configuration is made dynamic by implementing a state machine that can transition between different operational states (performance state and responsiveness state). The state machine receives inputs from interrupt controllers and performance monitors, and automatically adjusts the microarchitecture configuration based on current system conditions, allowing the system to optimize for either performance or interrupt responsiveness as needed
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes operational parameters of the microarchitecture circuitry by adjusting configuration settings between performance-oriented and responsiveness-oriented modes. This includes modifying pipeline depth, buffer sizes, and execution priorities as controllable parameters, enabling the system to trade off between throughput and latency based on interrupt likelihood predictions
2Loss of time
If the microarchitecture configuration is adjusted to increase responsiveness to interrupts, then the interrupt response time is improved, but the overall system performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by predicting potential interrupt events using a prediction mechanism that analyzes historical interrupt patterns and system state. When an interrupt is predicted, the microarchitecture configuration is proactively adjusted to responsiveness mode before the actual interrupt occurs, ensuring optimal response readiness without permanently sacrificing performance
Solution Approach 2:
The state machine periodically evaluates system conditions and interrupt patterns to determine whether to maintain performance mode or switch to responsiveness mode. This periodic reassessment allows the system to dynamically adapt its configuration based on current workload characteristics and interrupt likelihood, preventing unnecessary performance degradation
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method are described, the apparatus comprising processing circuitry to perform data processing operations, microarchitecture circuitry used by the processing circuitry during performance of the data processing operations, and an interface to receive interrupt requests. The processing circuitry is responsive to a received interrupt request to perform an interrupt service routine, and the apparatus comprises prediction circuitry to determine a predicted time of reception of a next interrupt of at least one given type. The apparatus also comprises microarchitecture control circuitry arranged to vary a configuration of the microarchitecture circuitry between a performance based configuration and a responsiveness based configuration in dependence on the predicted time, so as to seek to increase the responsiveness of the apparatus to interrupts as the predicted time is approached.