Method, apparatus, system creating, executing and terminating mini-threads

摘要

Described herein are mechanisms for creating, executing, and terminating mini-threads. A processor executes instructions with a primary thread in a first execution mode, and to execute an instruction to create a secondary mini-thread that is associated with a first subset of registers and associates the primary thread with a second subset of the registers during a second execution mode. During the second execution mode, the primary thread operates as a primary mini-thread.

主权项

1. A processor comprising:
a register file comprising a plurality of registers; and a processing core to:
execute a first instruction from a primary thread that has read and write access to the plurality of registers during a first execution mode of the processor; andexecute a second instruction that:
creates a secondary mini-thread associated with a first subset of the plurality of registers, andassociates the primary thread with a second subset of the plurality of registers,wherein the primary thread operates as a primary mini-thread during a second execution mode of the processor,wherein the primary mini-thread is user-level code that has read and write access to the second subset and cannot modify registers not in the second subset, andwherein the secondary mini-thread is user-level code that has read and write access to the first subset and cannot modify registers not in the first subset.