Prefetching write permissions into address translation cache

1. An apparatus comprising circuitry to:

receive a memory address translation request message from a downstream connected device;

identify, from the memory address translation request message, a permission indication that the device intends to perform a write access to one or more memory address locations specified in the memory address translation request message;

identify, from an address translation and protection table (ATPT), a dirty bit value associated with the one or more memory address locations; and

transmit a translation of the one or more memory address locations and a read or read+write permission to the device based on the permission indication in the memory address translation request message and the dirty bit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory address translation request message comprises a translation request header associated with a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)-based address translation services (ATS) protocol.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the apparatus comprising circuitry to:

determine that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determine that the dirty bit is set; and

transmit a read+write permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the apparatus comprising circuitry to:

determine that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determine that the dirty bit is clear; and

transmit a read-only permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the apparatus comprising circuitry to:

determine that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determine that a no-write bit is set; and

transmit a read-only permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , the apparatus comprising circuitry to:

determine that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determine that a no-write bit is set; and

transmit a read+write permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a translation agent.

8. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a translation agent, a memory address translation request message from a downstream connected device;

identifying, from the memory address translation request message, a permission indication that the device intends to perform a write access to one or more memory address locations specified in the memory address translation request message;

identifying, from an address translation and protection table (ATPT), a dirty bit value associated with the one or more memory address locations; and

transmitting a translation of the one or more memory address locations and a read or read+write permission to the device based on the permission indication in the memory address translation request message and the dirty bit.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the memory address translation request message comprises a translation request header associated with a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)-based address translation services (ATS) protocol.

10. The method of claim 8 , the method comprising:

determining that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determining that the dirty bit is set; and

transmitting a read+write permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

11. The method of claim 8 , the method comprising:

determining that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determining that the dirty bit is clear; and

transmitting a read-only permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

12. The method of claim 8 , the method comprising:

determining that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determining that a no-write bit is set; and

transmitting a read-only permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

13. The method of claim 8 , the method comprising:

determining that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determining that a no-write bit is set; and

transmitting a read+write permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored therein, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a translation agent, a memory address translation request message from a downstream connected device;

identifying, from the memory address translation request message, a permission indication that the device intends to perform a write access to one or more memory address locations specified in the memory address translation request message;

identifying, from an address translation and protection table (ATPT), a dirty bit value associated with the one or more memory address locations; and

transmitting a translation of the one or more memory address locations and a read or read+write permission to the device based on the permission indication in the memory address translation request message and the dirty bit.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the memory address translation request message comprises a translation request header associated with a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)-based address translation services (ATS) protocol.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , the operations comprising:

determining that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determining that the dirty bit is set; and

transmitting a read+write permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , the operations comprising:

determining that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determining that the dirty bit is clear; and

transmitting a read-only permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , the operations comprising:

determining that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determining that a no-write bit is set; and

transmitting a read-only permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , the operations comprising:

determining that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determining that a no-write bit is set; and

transmitting a read+write permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

20. A system comprising:

a host system comprising:

a translation agent, and

an address translation and protection table; and

an endpoint device coupled to the host system by a link based on a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) protocol, the endpoint device comprising:

an address translation cache; and

logic circuitry to:

construct a translation request header that comprises one or more memory addresses for translation and an indication of a potential write access to the one or more memory addresses, and

transmit the translation request header to the translation agent across link; and

the translation agent comprising circuitry to:

receive a memory address translation request message from a downstream connected device;

identify, from the memory address translation request message, a permission indication that the device intends to perform a write access to one or more memory address locations specified in the memory address translation request message;

identify, from an address translation and protection table (ATPT), a dirty bit value associated with the one or more memory address locations; and

transmit a translation of the one or more memory address locations and a read or read+write permission to the device based on the permission indication in the memory address translation request message and the dirty bit.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the memory address translation request message comprises a translation request header associated with a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)-based address translation services (ATS) protocol.

22. The system of claim 20 , the translation agent comprising circuitry to:

determine that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determine that the dirty bit is set; and

transmit a read+write permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

23. The system of claim 20 , the translation agent comprising circuitry to:

determine that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determine that the dirty bit is clear; and

transmit a read-only permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

24. The system of claim 20 , the translation agent comprising circuitry to:

determine that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determine that a no-write bit is set; and

transmit a read-only permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.

25. The system of claim 20 , the translation agent comprising circuitry to:

determine that the permission indication comprises a potential write bit set;

determine that a no-write bit is set; and

transmit a read+write permission to the device for the one or more memory address locations specified by the memory address translation request message.