Variable Precision Exception Handling in Code Translation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing program code conversion methods face challenges in efficiently handling exceptions during execution, particularly in translating code between different Instruction Set Architectures (ISAs), as they often require precise recreation of processor states, which is costly and difficult to achieve without significant performance losses.
Innovation Solution
A variable precision exception handling technique is implemented, allowing for handling exceptions at varying levels of precision depending on the type of exception encountered, using a proxy signal handler to reconstruct and manage the subject processor state, thereby reducing the need for precise state recreation and minimizing performance losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If precise recreation of processor state is implemented for exception handling, then exception handling accuracy is improved, but performance is significantly degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by capturing processor state at different precision levels depending on the exception type. For fatal exceptions requiring full state recovery, precise state capture is implemented. For non-fatal exceptions, only essential state information is captured, reducing overhead while maintaining sufficient accuracy for handling purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the precision level of state capture based on the exception characteristics. The precision can vary between different exception types and can be adjusted at runtime, allowing the system to optimize between accuracy and performance based on current execution context and exception severity.
2Reliability
If full processor state capture is performed for all exceptions, then exception handling completeness is improved, but computational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly capturing full processor state for all exceptions, the system applies local quality by capturing state at appropriate precision levels for each exception type. This ensures complete state recovery for critical exceptions while reducing computational overhead for less severe exceptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial state capture rather than complete state capture for all exceptions. By capturing only the necessary state information required for handling each specific exception type, the system avoids excessive computational cost while maintaining sufficient completeness for proper exception handling.
3Productivity
If variable precision exception handling is implemented, then performance is improved, but complexity of state management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments exception handling into different precision levels or categories based on exception type. This segmentation allows the system to manage state at different granularities, simplifying the overall state management architecture by dividing the complex task into manageable segments rather than handling all exceptions uniformly.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable precision exception handling technique is providing for handling exceptions encountered during translation of subject code to target code at varying levels of precision, depending upon the particular type of exception encountered. As an exception signal is detected by the translator, the state of the subject processor is captured at a precision determined to be sufficient for the detected exception.