Method and device to augment volatile memory in a graphics subsystem with non-volatile memory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9317892-B2
Application number	US-201113977261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2011
Priority date	Dec 28, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

Methods and devices to augment volatile memory in a graphics subsystem with certain types of non-volatile memory are described. In one embodiment, includes storing one or more static or near-static graphics resources in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). The NVRAM is directly accessible by a graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands. The method also includes a graphics processor executing a graphics application. The graphics processor sends a request using a memory load command for an address corresponding to at least one static or near-static graphics resources stored in the NVRAM. The method also includes directly loading the requested graphics resource from the NVRAM into a cache for the graphics processor in response to the memory load command.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
storing one or more static or near-static graphics resources in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), the NVRAM being directly accessible by a graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands;
executing, by a graphics processor, a graphics application, wherein the graphics processor sends a request using a memory load command for an address corresponding to at least one of the one or more static or near-static graphics resources stored in the NVRAM;
in response to the memory load command, directly loading the requested graphics resource from the NVRAM into a cache for the graphics processor;
storing a graphics processor memory management unit address map in a volatile memory location accessible to a graphics memory manager logic component;
managing, by the graphics memory manager logic component, a logical address to physical address map for each of a plurality of graphics resources related to the graphics application, the one or more static or near-static graphics resources being part of the plurality of graphics resources related to the graphics application; and
including, by the graphics memory manager logic component, a static/near-static tag for each of the plurality of graphics resources in the graphics processor memory management unit address map, the static/near-static tag indicating the resource will not be dynamically changing in a frequent manner.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including:
sending to the graphics memory manager logic component, by a central processing unit, an update to the static/near-static tag for at least a first graphics resource of the plurality of graphics resources; and
in response to receiving the update to the static/near-static tag for at least the first graphics resource, initiating, by the graphics memory manager logic component, a physical movement of the first graphics resource between the NVRAM and the volatile memory.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including:
storing translation lookaside buffer entries in the graphics processor memory management unit address map.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NVRAM includes one or more of phase change memory, byte-addressable persistent memory, universal memory, Ge2Sb2Te5 memory, programmable metallization cell memory, resistive memory, amorphous cell memory, Ovshinsky memory, ferroelectric memory, ferromagnetic memory, spin transfer torque memory, spin tunneling memory, magnetoresistive memory, magnetic memory, or dielectric memory.

5. A method comprising:
executing a graphics application on a graphics processor, wherein during execution there are one or more dynamic state records, utilized by the graphics application, stored in a volatile memory and at least one or more static or near-static graphics resources, utilized by the graphics application, stored in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), the NVRAM being directly accessible by the graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands;
receiving a notification to suspend the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory;
in response to the notification to suspend, performing a first memory copy of the one or more dynamic state records from the volatile memory to the NVRAM;
after the one or more dynamic state records have been copied into the NVRAM, suspending the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory into a lower power state;
receiving a notification to resume the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory;
in response to the notification to resume, resuming the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory into an operational state;
performing a second memory copy of the one or more dynamic state records from the NVRAM back into the volatile memory; and
resuming execution of the graphics application.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the suspending to the lower power state further includes suspending to a non-powered state.

7. The method of claim 5 , further including:
building the one or more dynamic state records during an initial startup of execution of the graphics application; and
thereafter not rebuilding the one or more dynamic state records during any subsequent resumption of execution of the graphics application after a suspension of the graphics processor, the NVRAM, and the volatile memory.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the NVRAM includes one or more of phase change memory, byte-addressable persistent memory, universal memory, Ge2Sb2Te5 memory, programmable metallization cell memory, resistive memory, amorphous cell memory, Ovshinsky memory, ferroelectric memory, ferromagnetic memory, spin transfer torque memory, spin tunneling memory, magnetoresistive memory, magnetic memory, or dielectric memory.

9. A method, comprising:
storing display image data in at least one frame buffer in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), the NVRAM being directly accessible by a graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands;
performing, by a display controller, a memory load on the frame buffer to receive the display image data, the storing of the display image data in the NVRAM occurring at least as frequently as a refresh rate of a display screen;
displaying, by the display controller, the received display image data on the display screen; and
when the display controller is first capable of sending an image to the display screen during a system boot, displaying an image that was stored in a local display NVRAM of the display controller during an operational period of time prior to the system boot.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the NVRAM includes one or more of phase change memory, byte-addressable persistent memory, universal memory, Ge2Sb2Te5 memory, programmable metallization cell memory, resistive memory, amorphous cell memory, Ovshinsky memory, ferroelectric memory, ferromagnetic memory, spin transfer torque memory, spin tunneling memory, magnetoresistive memory, magnetic memory, or dielectric memory.

11. A device comprising:
graphics processor memory augmentation logic to:
store one or more static or near-static graphics resources in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), the NVRAM being directly accessible by a graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands, and
store a graphics processor memory management unit address map in a volatile memory location accessible to a graphics memory manager logic component;

a graphics processor to execute a graphics application, the graphics processor to at least send a request using a memory load command for an address corresponding to at least one of the one or more static or near-static graphics resources stored in the NVRAM;
a graphics memory controller to, in response to the memory load command, directly load the requested graphics resource from the NVRAM into a cache for the graphics processor; and
the graphics memory manager logic component to:
manage a logical address to physical address map for each of a plurality of graphics resources related to the graphics application, the one or more static or near-static graphics resources being part of the plurality of graphics resources related to the graphics application, and
include a static/near-static tag for each of the plurality of graphics resources in the graphics processor memory management unit address map, the static/near-static tag to indicate the resource will not dynamically change in a frequent manner.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the graphics memory manager logic component is further to:
receive, from a central processing unit, an update to the static/near-static tag for at least a first graphics resou

Assignees

• Veal Bryan E
• Schluessler Travis T
• Ramadoss Murali
• Vembu Balaji
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Veal Bryan E
• Schluessler Travis T
• Ramadoss Murali
• Vembu Balaji

Classifications

• G06T1/60 Primary

  Memory management · CPC title

• G11C16/349

  Arrangements for evaluating degradation, retention or wearout, e.g. by counting erase cycles · CPC title