System, apparatus and methods for power communications according to a CXL power protocol

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12282366-B2
Application number	US-202117443374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2021
Priority date	Jul 26, 2021
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an interface to couple a plurality of devices of a system, the interface to enable communication according to a Compute Express Link (CXL) protocol, and a power management circuit coupled to the interface. The power management circuit may: receive, from a first device of the plurality of devices, a request according to the CXL protocol for updated power credits; identify at least one other device of the plurality of devices to provide at least some of the updated power credits; and communicate with the first device and the at least one other device to enable the first device to increase power consumption according to the at least some of the updated power credits. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an interface to couple a plurality of devices of a system, the system including at least one central processing unit (CPU), at least one accelerator device, and at least one memory, the interface to enable communication according to a Compute Express Link (CXL) protocol; and
a power management circuit coupled to the interface, the power management circuit to:
receive, from a first device of the plurality of devices, a request according to the CXL protocol for updated power credits;
identify, based upon power redistribution negotiation, at least one other device of the plurality of devices to provide at least some of the updated power credits; and
communicate with the first device and the at least one other device to enable the first device to increase power consumption according to the at least some of the updated power credits.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a storage having a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries to store power sharing information regarding a request for updated power credits.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interface is to send a multicast request to at least some of the plurality of devices to request the updated power credits, in response to the request from the first device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein in response to the multicast request, the power management circuit is to receive a first offer from a second device of the plurality of devices, the first offer for a first plurality of power credits, and allocate at least some of the first plurality of power credits to the first device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the interface is to:
send a first unicast message to the second device to inform the second device regarding the allocation of the at least some of the first plurality of power credits to the first device, wherein the second device is to operate at a reduced power consumption level for a first duration; and
send a second unicast message to the first device to inform the first device regarding the allocation of the at least some of the first plurality of power credits to the first device, wherein the first device is to operate at an increased power consumption level for the first duration.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the power management circuit is to:
allocate less than the first plurality of power credits of the first offer to the first device;
inform a third device that at least some power credits previously allocated to the third device have been withdrawn; and
send a unicast message to the first device to inform the first device regarding the allocation of the first plurality of power credits and the at least some power credits to the first device for a first duration, wherein the first device is to operate at an increased power consumption level for the first duration.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interface is to receive, via an out-of-band message, capability information from the plurality of devices, the capability information comprising, for each device, a minimum power credit level, an optimal power credit level, and a maximum power credit level.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the power management circuit is to identify the at least one other device based at least in part on the capability information for the at least one other device, wherein the at least one other device has an independent power source, the capability information of the at least one other device further comprising a sharing power credit level.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power management circuit is to dynamically update the power credits for at least one of the plurality of devices in response to a dynamic insertion of an additional device into the system.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a first CPU, the first CPU to receive and send power management messages according to a CXL.power protocol.

11. At least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed enable a system to perform operations comprising:
send a Compute Express Link (CXL) message from a first device of the system to at least a second device of the system to request to borrow power allocated to the at least second device;
receive a response from the at least second device, the response to indicate an amount of the power to be borrowed; and
operate, based upon power redistribution negotiation, the first device at a higher power consumption level based at least in part on the amount of the power to be borrowed.

12. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to send the CXL message as a unicast message from the first device to the second device, the first device and the second device comprising peer devices.

13. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to send the CXL message comprising a duration of the borrow and a credit level to indicate a requested amount of the power to be borrowed.

14. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system, when the amount of power to be borrowed comprises a total power allocated to the second device, after the duration, to cause the first device to provide at least some power allocated to the first device to the second device, for a second duration.

15. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to send the CXL message from the first device to the second device according to a CXL.power protocol.

16. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to send a second CXL message from the second device to a CXL hub to request to borrow additional power, wherein the CXL hub is, in response to the second CXL message, to send a multicast message to at least some of a plurality of devices of the system to request to borrow the additional power.

17. A system comprising:
a central processing unit (CPU) having a plurality of cores and a first power management circuit;
an accelerator coupled to the CPU via a Compute Express Link (CXL) hub, the accelerator having a second power management circuit; and
the CXL hub coupled to the CPU and the accelerator, wherein the CXL hub comprises a third power management circuit to:
receive, from the accelerator, a CXL request for increased power consumption for a first duration;
identify, based upon power redistribution negotiation, at least one other device of the system from which to withdraw power sufficient to meet the increased power consumption for the first duration; and
communicate with the accelerator and the at least one other device to enable the accelerator to increase power consumption for the first duration.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the accelerator is to:
send the CXL request according to a CXL.power protocol; and
send another CXL request to the CPU to request to borrow power for another time duration, the another CXL request comprising a unicast request.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the CXL hub is to identify a misbehavior of at least one device and prevent the at least one device from operation with increased po

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Guim Bernat Francesc
• Kumar Karthik
• Bachmutsky Alexander
• Ziakas Dimitrios
• Gupta Rita D

Classifications

• H04L12/10

  Current supply arrangements · CPC title

• G06F1/3203 Primary

  Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode · CPC title

• G06F1/3234

  Power saving characterised by the action undertaken · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title

• G06F1/26 Primary

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title