Tag-Based Queue Management for Transaction Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data processing systems face challenges in ensuring data integrity, particularly in non-sequential transaction execution, where errors can occur due to resource misallocation, and existing techniques like ECC and lockstep computing have limitations in detecting out-of-order transactions.
Innovation Solution
A data processing system utilizing unique transaction tags to track and verify the execution of transactions, generating faults if tag mismatches or timeouts occur, thereby ensuring accurate transaction sequencing and integrity within a single processor or in conjunction with lockstep functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional queue management is used without unique tags, then device complexity is reduced, but data integrity and transaction sequencing reliability deteriorate due to resource misallocation and undetected out-of-order transactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments transactions into distinct entries with unique tags, separating each transaction's identification, scheduling, and execution tracking into discrete components. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity through structured organization while maintaining data integrity through tag-based verification of transaction sequencing and resource allocation.
2Reliability
If ECC and lockstep computing are used to ensure data integrity, then reliability improves, but device complexity and overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential integrity verification function into a dedicated tag comparison mechanism that operates independently from the main transaction execution path. By taking out the verification logic into separate tag validation circuitry, the system achieves data integrity without requiring complex dual-processor lockstep execution or extensive ECC overhead, thus reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through tag comparison, where the unique tag assigned to a transaction is verified against the tag read from memory during execution. This feedback mechanism detects out-of-order transactions and resource misallocation immediately, providing reliable data integrity verification without requiring continuous complex monitoring or dual-processor operation.
3Reliability
If unique transaction tags are implemented to track and verify transactions, then queue management integrity and transaction sequencing reliability improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the unique tag mechanism: transaction identification, scheduling priority, execution tracking, and integrity verification are all combined into a single tag field. This merging reduces the number of separate data structures and control logic required, thereby managing complexity while achieving comprehensive transaction sequencing reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An aspect of the invention is directed towards a data processing system and method including a transaction scheduler configured to process transactions, a tag control circuit coupled to the transaction scheduler configured to detect a fault by comparing output signals, and a controller coupled to the tag control circuit. The controller is configured to receive a transaction request identifying a transaction, generate a unique tag value for the transaction request, load the unique tag value into the transaction scheduler, determine a current unique tag value associated with the transaction being executed, and generate a fault. The system is further configured to generate fault when: (i) the current unique tag value is not found, or (ii) the transactions timeout after a predetermined number of cycles.