Pipelined Memory Access Engine for Low-Latency Address Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and latency of memory operations, particularly in virtual memory address spaces, are significant due to the need for address translations and permission checks, especially when copying large blocks of memory between virtual machines.
Innovation Solution
A memory access engine with a pipelined architecture, including input queues, an arbitrator, and an execution pipeline, which performs address translations and permission checks in parallel, thereby reducing latency and increasing throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If address translations and permission checks are performed sequentially for memory operations, then correctness is ensured, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory access engine divides the memory operation into multiple pipeline stages: permission check stage, address translation stage, and execution stage. Each stage processes a different aspect of the memory operation independently and in parallel, allowing multiple operations to be processed concurrently while maintaining correctness through staged validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The permission check is performed in advance during the permission check stage before address translation and execution. This preliminary validation ensures that only authorized memory operations proceed to subsequent stages, maintaining security and correctness while enabling parallel processing of approved operations.
2Device complexity
If memory operations are processed sequentially, then resource usage is simplified, but throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory access engine implements a dynamic pipelined architecture where multiple operations flow through different stages simultaneously. The pipeline allows operations to be processed in an overlapping manner, with each stage working on a different operation at the same time, thereby increasing throughput while maintaining manageable resource usage through structured organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipelined architecture ensures continuous processing of memory operations by eliminating idle time between stages. While one operation is being executed, another is being translated, and a third is having permissions checked, maintaining continuous useful action across all pipeline stages and maximizing throughput.
3Measurement precision
If address translations are performed for every memory operation, then address accuracy is ensured, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The address translation process is segmented into a dedicated address translation stage within the pipeline, separate from permission checking and execution. This segmentation allows address translations to be performed systematically and in parallel with other operations, ensuring accuracy while reducing overall processing time through concurrent execution of multiple pipeline stages.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for servicing a memory request is disclosed. The technique includes obtaining permissions associated with a source and a destination specified by the memory request, obtaining a first set of address translations for the memory request, and executing operations for a first request, using the first set of address translations.