Processor Time-to-Live Memory Abort Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Processors face inefficiencies when loading data from memory systems with multiple components of different access speeds, as they often wait for data from slower components, leading to prolonged processing times and resource wastage.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a 'time to live' parameter in processors to abort commands for data loading from slower memory components and remap them to faster components, allowing for efficient data relocation and caching, thereby ensuring data is retrieved within the specified time frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the processor waits for data from slower memory components, then data completeness is ensured, but processing time increases and resource utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by issuing read commands to multiple memory components simultaneously before the processor needs the data. Fast memory components are identified and their data is prepared in advance, allowing the processor to retrieve data within the time-to-live window without waiting for slower components to complete their operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a time-to-live mechanism that allows the processor to skip or abort waiting for data from slower memory components if the data is not retrieved within the specified time window. This prevents the processor from being blocked by slow memory operations while still obtaining necessary data from faster memory components.
2Reliability
If the processor waits for data from slower memory components, then all data is retrieved, but resource utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system issues read commands to multiple memory components in parallel before the processor requires the data. By identifying fast memory components in advance and retrieving their data preliminarily, the system ensures data availability without blocking the processor, thereby maintaining high resource utilization while achieving complete data retrieval from available sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous useful action by allowing the processor to proceed with operations using data from fast memory components while slower memory operations continue in the background. This prevents idle time and maintains productivity while still attempting to retrieve all available data from slower components.
3Quantity of substance
If the system uses multiple memory components with different access speeds, then storage capacity increases, but access time variability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by assigning different roles to different memory components based on their characteristics. Fast memory components are used for time-critical data access with guaranteed response times, while slower memory components provide additional storage capacity for less time-sensitive data. This differentiation ensures consistent access times for critical operations while maximizing overall storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a time dimension to memory access by implementing a time-to-live parameter that differentiates between urgent and non-urgent data retrieval. This allows the system to use multiple memory components with different speeds effectively, as the time-to-live mechanism enables the processor to prioritize fast memory access when needed while utilizing slower memory for less time-critical operations, thus maintaining access time consistency for critical paths.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods to implement time to live for memory access by processors. For example, a processor has a register configured to store a parameter specifying a time duration indicative of the desired time to live. A memory system has multiple components with different latencies for memory access. When the memory controller of the processor sends a command to the memory system to load an item from a memory address, the memory system can fail to provide, to the processor within the time duration, the item from the memory address currently being hosted in a first component. In response, the memory controller can send a signal to abort the command; and the memory system can select a second component having a memory access latency shorter than the first component, and change the hosting of the memory address from in the first component to in the second component.