Forward counter block

摘要

A forward counter block may include at least one of a plurality of local counter storage elements for counting events. The forward counter block may also include an update engine, the update engine configured to update an external memory by forwarding a value stored in any of said at lease one of a plurality of local counter storage elements and return a zero value to that local counter storage element, when the value stored in that local counter storage element reaches or surpasses a threshold value.

主权项

1. A forward counter block comprising:
a local counter storage element for counting events; an update storage; an update engine, the update engine to update an external memory by forwarding a modified value stored in the local counter storage element to the external memory via the update storage, wherein the update engine is, upon detection that the local counter storage element reaches or surpasses a threshold value, to forward the modified value of the local counter storage element to the update storage and return a zero value to the local counter storage element, wherein, to forward the modified value stored in the local counter storage element to the external memory, the update engine is to:
determine whether the update storage has available space,in response to a determination that the update storage has available space, forward the modified value of the local counter storage element to the update storage, andin response to a determination that the update storage does not have available space, write the modified value back to the local counter storage element, and repeat the forwarding of the modified value of the local counter storage element to the update storage in a next transaction that occurs at the local counter storage element; and a state machine to insert a flush operation between counter updates, including initiate the update engine to force flush the modified value stored in the local counter storage element and update the external memory during the flush operation.