Method and system for conservatively managing store capacity available to a processor issuing stores

1. A processor comprising:

a counter within said processor operable to count issued stores, wherein said counter is incremented responsive to an issued store, and wherein said counter is decremented responsive to a decrementing condition, and wherein said counter is incremented in response to a speculative store; and

a monitoring component for determining whether a storing capacity for a store container has exceeded, wherein said counter is operable to manage said storing capacity of said store container, and wherein said storing capacity is for speculative stores.

2. The processor as described in claim 1 , wherein said decrementing condition is a drain of an issued store.

3. The processor as described in claim 1 , wherein said decrementing condition is a pre-allocated space for an issued store.

4. The processor as described in claim 1 , wherein said determination by said monitoring component occurs when a value of said counter equals a predetermined value, and wherein said predetermined value is user selectable.

5. The processor as described in claim 1 , wherein an issued store is a speculative store, and wherein said counter is cleared in response to a commit operation.

6. The processor as described in claim 1 , wherein an issued store is a speculative store, and wherein said counter is cleared in response to a rollback operation.

7. The processor as described in claim 1 , wherein an issued store is a speculative store, and wherein said decrementing condition is a pre-allocated space for an issued store.

8. The processor as described in claim 1 , wherein said counter comprises:

a first counter, wherein said first counter is incremented in response to a speculative store; and

a second counter, wherein said second counter is incremented responsive to an issued store.

9. The processor as described in claim 8 , wherein said determination by said monitoring component occurs when a value of said second counter equals a predetermined value.

10. The processor as described in claim 8 , wherein said first counter is cleared in response to a commit operation.

11. The processor as described in claim 8 , wherein a value of said first counter is subtracted from a value of said second counter in response to a rollback operation.

12. The processor as described in claim 8 , wherein said decrementing condition is a drain of an issued store, and wherein said issued store is a non-speculative store.

13. A system comprising:

a store container for storing issued stores;

a queue, wherein said queue receives issued stores prior to said store container; and

a processor comprising:

a counter within said processor operable to count issued stores, wherein said counter is incremented responsive to an issued store, and wherein said counter is decremented responsive to a decrementing condition; and

a monitoring component for determining whether a storing capacity for said store container has exceeded, wherein said counter is operable to manage said storing capacity of said store container.

14. The system as described in claim 13 , wherein said decrementing condition is a drain of an issued store.

15. The system as described in claim 13 , wherein said decrementing condition is a pre-allocated space for an issued store.

16. The system as described in claim 13 , wherein said determination by said monitoring component occurs when a value of said counter equals a predetermined value, and wherein said predetermined value is user selectable.

17. The system as described in claim 13 , wherein said store container comprises a data cache for supporting speculative modifications, and a speculative cache buffer, wherein said storing capacity is for issued stores that are speculative.

18. The system as described in claim 17 , wherein said counter is incremented in response to a speculative store.

19. The system as described in claim 17 , wherein said counter is cleared in response to a commit operation.

20. The system as described in claim 17 , wherein said counter is cleared in response to a rollback operation.

21. The system as described in claim 17 , wherein said decrementing condition is a pre-allocated space in said store container for an issued store that is a speculative store.

22. The system as described in claim 13 , wherein said store container comprises a store buffer.

23. The system as described in claim 13 , wherein said counter comprises:

a first counter, wherein said first counter is incremented in response to a speculative store; and

a second counter, wherein said second counter is incremented responsive to an issued store.

24. The system as described in claim 23 , wherein said determination by said monitoring component occurs when a value of said second counter equals a predetermined value.

25. The system as described in claim 23 , wherein said first counter is cleared in response to a commit operation.

26. The system as described in claim 23 , wherein a value of said first counter is subtracted from a value of said second counter in response to a rollback operation.

27. The system as described in claim 23 , wherein said store container comprises a store buffer, and wherein said decrementing condition is a drain of an issued store from said store buffer, and wherein said issued store is a non-speculative store.

28. A method of managing a storing capacity of a store container, said method comprising:

receiving an issued store;

incrementing a counter within a processor in response to said issued store, wherein said counter comprises a first counter and a second counter, wherein said first counter is incremented in response to a speculative store, and wherein said second counter is incremented responsive to an issued store; and

decrementing said counter in response to a decrementing condition, wherein said counter is operable to manage said storing capacity of said store container.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

determining whether said storing capacity for said store container has exceeded.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein said determining occurs when a value of said counter equals a predetermined value.

31. The method of claim 28 , wherein said decrementing condition is a drain of an issued store from said store container.

32. The method of claim 28 , wherein said decrementing condition is a pre-allocated space in said store container for an issued store.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein said issued store is a speculative store.

34. The method of claim 28 , wherein said incrementing is in response to an issued store, wherein said issued store is a speculative store.

35. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

clearing said counter in response to a commit operation.

36. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

clearing said counter in response to a rollback operation.

37. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

clearing said first counter in response to a commit operation.

38. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

subtracting a value of said first counter from a value of said second counter in response to a rollback operation.

39. The method of claim 28 , wherein said decrementing condition is a drain of an issued store, and wherein said issued store is a non-speculative store.

40. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

determining whether said storing capacity for said store container has exceeded, wherein said determining comprises:

determining a value of issued stores in said store container by draining a queue that receives issued stores prior to said store container; and

responsive to said determining said value, causing adjustment of a value of said first and second counter.

41. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

determining whether said storing capacity for said store container has exceeded, wherein said determining comprises:

determining a value of issued stores in said store container by draining a queue to cause adjustment of a value of said counter.

42. The method of claim 41 , wherein said issued stores are speculative stores.