Robert W Beers

US Patent:

6954829, Oct 11, 2005

Filed:

Dec 19, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/326232

Inventors:

Robert H. Beers - Hillsboro OR, US
Herbert H. J. Hum - Portland OR, US
James R. Goodman - Madison WI, US

Assignee:

Intel Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F012/00

US Classification:

711141, 709216, 709230, 709238

Abstract:

A conflict resolution technique provides consistency such that all conflicts can be detected by at least one of the conflicting requestors if each node monitors all requests after that node has made its own request. If a line is in the Exclusive, Modified or Forward state, conflicts are resolved at the node holding the unique copy. The winner of the conflict resolution, and possibly the losers, report the conflict to the home node, which pairs conflict reports and issues forwarding instructions to assure that all requesting nodes eventually receive the requested data. If a requested cache line is either uncached or present only in the Shared state, the home node provides a copy of the cache node and resolves conflicts. In one embodiment, a blackout period after all responses until an acknowledgement message has been received allows all conflicting nodes to be aware of conflicts in which they are involved.

US Patent:

7434006, Oct 7, 2008

Filed:

Jun 24, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/165688

Inventors:

Robert H. Beers - Hillsboro OR, US
Herbert H. J. Hum - Portland OR, US
James R. Goodman - Madison WI, US

Assignee:

Intel Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 12/08

US Classification:

711141, 711130, 711148, 711150, 709216, 709232, 709235, 709238

Abstract:

A conflict resolution technique provides consistency such that all conflicts can be detected by at least one of the conflicting requestors if each node monitors all requests after that node has made its own request. If a line is in the Exclusive, Modified or Forward state, conflicts are resolved at the node holding the unique copy. The winner of the conflict resolution, and possibly the losers, report the conflict to the home node, which pairs conflict reports and issues forwarding instructions to assure that all requesting nodes eventually receive the requested data. If a requested cache line is either uncached or present only in the Shared state, the home node provides a copy of the cache node and resolves conflicts. In one embodiment, a blackout period after all responses until an acknowledgement message has been received allows all conflicting nodes to be aware of conflicts in which they are involved.

US Patent:

7506108, Mar 17, 2009

Filed:

Jun 30, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/479179

Inventors:

Robert Beers - Beaverton OR, US
Herbert Hum - Portland OR, US

Assignee:

Intel Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 12/14
G06F 12/10

US Classification:

711147, 711141

Abstract:

A method for resolving data request conflicts in a cache coherency protocol for multiple caching agents using requester-generated data forwards. In one embodiment, a caching agent stores information used to auto-generate a forward of data received in response to a data request.

US Patent:

7721050, May 18, 2010

Filed:

Jun 30, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/480102

Inventors:

Herbert H. Hum - Portland OR, US
Robert Beers - Beaverton OR, US

Assignee:

Intel Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00

US Classification:

711141, 711143, 711144, 711145, 711146, 711147, 711150

Abstract:

In a cache coherency protocol a re-snoop may be utilized to resolve a data request conflict condition. The re-snoop may avoid a conflict resolution phase, which may reduce system inefficiencies.

US Patent:

7917646, Mar 29, 2011

Filed:

Dec 19, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/325427

Inventors:

Herbert H. J. Hum - Portland OR, US
James R. Goodman - Madison WI, US
Robert H. Beers - Hillsboro OR, US
Rajnish Ghughal - Hillsboro OR, US

Assignee:

Intel Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 15/16

US Classification:

709232

Abstract:

A conflict resolution technique provides consistency such that all conflicts can be detected by at least one of the conflicting requestors if each node monitors all requests after that node has made its own request. If a line is in the Exclusive, Modified or Forward state, conflicts are resolved at the node holding the unique copy. The winner of the conflict resolution, and possibly the losers, report the conflict to the home node, which pairs conflict reports and issues forwarding instructions to assure that all requesting nodes eventually receive the requested data. If a requested cache line is either uncached or present only in the Shared state, the home node provides a copy of the cache node and resolves conflicts. In one embodiment, a blackout period after all responses until an acknowledgement message has been received allows all conflicting nodes to be aware of conflicts in which they are involved.

US Patent:

8171095, May 1, 2012

Filed:

Mar 14, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/047496

Inventors:

Herbert H. J. Hum - Portland OR, US
James R. Goodman - Madison WI, US
Robert H. Beers - Hillsboro OR, US
Rajnish Ghughal - Hillsboro OR, US

Assignee:

Intel Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 15/16

US Classification:

709206, 709232

Abstract:

A conflict resolution technique provides consistency such that all conflicts can be detected by at least one of the conflicting requestors if each node monitors all requests after that node has made its own request. If a line is in the Exclusive, Modified or Forward state, conflicts are resolved at the node holding the unique copy. The winner of the conflict resolution, and possibly the losers, report the conflict to the home node, which pairs conflict reports and issues forwarding instructions to assure that all requesting nodes eventually receive the requested data. If a requested cache line is either uncached or present only in the Shared state, the home node provides a copy of the cache node and resolves conflicts. In one embodiment, a blackout period after all responses until an acknowledgement message has been received allows all conflicting nodes to be aware of conflicts in which they are involved.

US Patent:

8205045, Jun 19, 2012

Filed:

Jul 7, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/168606

Inventors:

Robert H. Beers - Beaverton OR, US
Ching-Tsun Chou - Palo Alto CA, US
Robert J. Safranek - Portland OR, US

Assignee:

Intel Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 13/16

US Classification:

711143, 711118, 711141, 711146

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for preserving memory ordering in a cache coherent link based interconnect in light of partial and non-coherent memory accesses is herein described. In one embodiment, when a conflict associated with a partial memory access, such as a partial write, is detected, a write-back phase is inserted at the conflict phase to write-back the partial data to a home agent. Examples messages to initiate a write-back phase at a conflict phase include: an Acknowledge Conflict Write-back message to acknowledge a conflict and provide a write-back marker at the beginning of the conflict phase, a write-back marker message before the conflict phase, a write-back marker message within the conflict phase, a write-back marker message after the conflict phase, and a postable message after the conflict phase.

US Patent:

8250311, Aug 21, 2012

Filed:

Jul 7, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/168613

Inventors:

Robert H. Beers - Beaverton OR, US
Ching-Tsun Chou - Palo Alto CA, US
Robert J. Safranek - Portland OR, US
James Vash - Littleton MA, US

Assignee:

Intel Corporation - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 13/00

US Classification:

711146, 711141, 711143, 711144, 711145

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for preserving memory ordering in a cache coherent link based interconnect in light of partial and non-coherent memory accesses is herein described. In one embodiment, partial memory accesses, such as a partial read, is implemented utilizing a Read Invalidate and/or Snoop Invalidate message. When a peer node receives a Snoop Invalidate message referencing data from a requesting node, the peer node is to invalidate a cache line associated with the data and is not to directly forward the data to the requesting node. In one embodiment, when the peer node holds the referenced cache line in a Modified coherency state, in response to receiving the Snoop Invalidate message, the peer node is to writeback the data to a home node associated with the data.