Hybrid hardware and software implementation of transactional memory access

摘要

Embodiments of the invention relate a hybrid hardware and software implementation of transactional memory accesses in a computer system. A processor including a transactional cache and a regular cache is utilized in a computer system that includes a policy manager to select one of a first mode (a hardware mode) or a second mode (a software mode) to implement transactional memory accesses. In the hardware mode the transactional cache is utilized to perform read and write memory operations and in the software mode the regular cache is utilized to perform read and write memory operations.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor including a transactional cache and a regular cache, wherein both caches are physically located within the processor; and a policy manager to select, upon beginning a transaction after detecting an exception, a first mode or a second mode to implement transactional memory accesses, wherein executed memory operations of the transaction in either the first and second mode are not committed until all read and write memory operations of the transaction have completed execution; wherein, in the first mode, the transactional cache is utilized to perform all read and write memory operations and, in the second mode, only memory operations explicitly specified as transactional are a part of the transaction and wherein the regular cache is utilized to perform read and write memory operations of the transaction in the second mode.