IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,586,439
Granted Patent B2
US 11,586,439 · App. 17/074,834 · Granted Feb 21, 2023

Detecting infinite loops in a programmable atomic transaction

Inventor: Tony Brewer (Plano, TX)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G06F9/3004G06F12/0815G06F12/0875
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,586,439
App. No.
17/074,834
Granted
Feb 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed in some examples are systems, methods, devices, and machine-readable mediums to detect and terminate programmable atomic transactions that are stuck in an infinite loop. In order to detect and terminate these transactions, the programmable atomic unit may use an instruction counter that increments each time an instruction is executed during execution of a programmable atomic transaction. If the instruction counter meets or exceeds a threshold instruction execution limit without reaching the termination instruction, the programmable atomic transaction may be terminated, all resources used (e.g., memory locks) may be freed, and a response may be sent to a calling processor.

Claims (57)

1. An apparatus comprising:

A memory controller;

a memory array coupled to the memory controller;

a programmable atomic unit coupled to the memory controller and comprising a processor, the processor configured to:

receive a request packet from a requesting processor, the request packet requesting execution of a programmable atomic transaction at a programmable atomic unit of a memory controller, the request packet including a partition index for a partition in a memory of the programmable atomic unit;

execute instructions in the memory, starting at the beginning of the partition, the executing comprising incrementing an instruction counter for every executed instruction; and

send a response to the requesting processor indicating that execution was terminated due to the instruction counter exceeding an instruction execution limit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine an instruction execution limit for the programmable atomic transaction;

initialize an instruction counter;

determine whether, during executing the instructions and prior to a termination instruction being executed, the instruction counter exceeds the instruction execution limit; and

responsive to a determination that the instruction counter exceeds the instruction execution limit, terminate execution of the programmable atomic transaction.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor being configured to determine the instruction execution limit comprises being configured to:

determine a programmable atomic transaction information data structure from the partition index; and

determine the instruction execution limit from the programmable atomic transaction information data structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, prior to receipt of the request packet, receive a request to store instructions in the partition, the request including the instruction execution limit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the instruction execution limit by being configured to:

Identify the instruction execution limit from the request packet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to terminate execution of the programmable atomic transaction by being configured to release a lock on a memory location controlled by the memory controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the instruction execution limit by being configured to:

count a number of instructions in the programmable atomic transaction; and

determine the instruction execution limit based upon the number of instructions in the programmable atomic transaction.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the request packet and the response are sent over a packet based chiplet network.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a request packet from a requesting processor, the request packet requesting execution of a programmable atomic transaction at a programmable atomic unit of a memory controller, the request packet including a partition index for a partition in a memory of the programmable atomic unit;

executing instructions in the memory, starting at the beginning of the partition, the executing comprising incrementing an instruction counter for every executed instruction; and

sending a response to the requesting processor indicating that execution was terminated due to the instruction counter exceeding an instruction execution limit.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining an instruction execution limit for the programmable atomic transaction;

initializing an instruction counter;

determining whether, during executing the instructions and prior to a termination instruction being executed, the instruction counter exceeds the instruction execution limit; and

responsive to determining that the instruction counter exceeds the instruction execution limit, terminating execution of the programmable atomic transaction.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the instruction execution limit comprises:

determining a programmable atomic transaction information data structure from the partition index; and

determining the instruction execution limit from the programmable atomic transaction information data structure.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein prior to receiving the request packet, receiving a request to store instructions in the partition, the request including the instruction execution limit.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the instruction execution limit comprises:

Identifying the instruction execution limit from the request packet.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

wherein terminating execution of the programmable atomic transaction comprises releasing a lock on a memory location controlled by the memory controller.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the instruction execution limit comprises:

counting a number of instructions in the programmable atomic transaction; and

determining the instruction execution limit based upon the number of instructions in the programmable atomic transaction.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the request packet and the response are sent over a packet based chiplet network.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, storing instructions, which when performed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request packet from a requesting processor, the request packet requesting execution of a programmable atomic transaction at a programmable atomic unit of a memory controller, the request packet including a partition index for a partition in a memory of the programmable atomic unit;

executing instructions in the memory, starting at the beginning of the partition, the executing comprising incrementing an instruction counter for every executed instruction; and

sending a response to the requesting processor indicating that execution was terminated due to the instruction counter exceeding an instruction execution limit.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an instruction execution limit for the programmable atomic transaction;

initializing an instruction counter;

determining whether, during executing the instructions and prior to a termination instruction being executed, the instruction counter exceeds the instruction execution limit; and

responsive to determining that the instruction counter exceeds the instruction execution limit, terminating execution of the programmable atomic transaction.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations of determining the instruction execution limit comprises:

determining a programmable atomic transaction information data structure from the partition index; and

determining the instruction execution limit from the programmable atomic transaction information data structure.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise prior to receiving the request packet, receiving a request to store instructions in the partition, the request including the instruction execution limit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2020
From: BREWER, TONY
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 054535/0670 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230027534A1 · Jan 26, 2023
Cited By (3)
US 12,236,120 US 12,360,941 US 12,386,616