Selectively controlling use of extended mode features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720661-B2
Application number	US-201414231648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

An optimizer identifies application code to be modified and modifies that code, such that the application includes unmodified code and modified code. Based on generating the modified code, the optimizer sets one or more controls to selectively enable use of extended mode features by the application. The extended mode features include one or more features at an instruction set level different from an instruction set level available to the application. The controls may be set in a control register or entries of address translation structures, as examples.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for facilitating processing in a computing environment, said computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:
optimizing, by an optimizer executing in a processor, an application by generating modified code of the application, wherein the application comprises unmodified code and modified code;
wherein the optimizing further comprises setting one or more controls to selectively enable exclusive use, by the application at a first instruction set level, of extended mode features, the extended mode features comprising one or more features at a second instruction set level, wherein the second instruction set level exceeds the first instruction set level and is available to the application in conjunction with optimization, based on the setting one or more controls to selectively enable exclusive use in the optimizing, but is otherwise unknown or unavailable to the application,
wherein the first instruction set level and the second instruction set level are determined to be used by an instruction state context, and
wherein the one or more controls comprise a first control located in an entry of an address translation structure associated with the application to indicate use of extended mode features is enabled and one or more second controls in a control register to indicate one or more specific extended mode features available to the application.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controls are located in a control register controlling execution of the application.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 , wherein the setting the one or more controls comprises setting by the optimizer an extended mode enable control in the control register to enable the application to use the extended mode features.

4. The computer program product of claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises resetting the extended mode enable control to disable use of the extended mode features by the application.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controls comprises a plurality of controls individually representing a plurality of extended mode features.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controls are located in an entry of an address translation structure associated with the application.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the setting the one or more controls comprises setting by the optimizer an extended mode enable control in the entry of the address translation structure to enable the application to use the extended mode features.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
storing, based on the generating, the modified code in one or more memory regions separate from memory regions storing the unmodified code; and
creating one or more address translation structure entries corresponding to the one or more memory regions; and wherein
the setting the one or more controls comprises setting one or more extended mode enable controls in one or more address translation entries to enable the application to use extended mode features.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the one or more controls comprises a plurality of controls individually representing a plurality of extended mode features.

10. A computer system for facilitating processing in a computing environment, said computer system comprising:
a memory; and
a processor in communications with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, said method comprising:
optimizing, by an optimizer executing in a processor, an application by generating modified code of the application, wherein the application comprises unmodified code and modified code;
wherein the optimizing further comprises setting one or more controls to selectively enable exclusive use, by the application at a first instruction set level, of extended mode features, the extended mode features comprising one or more features at a second instruction set level, wherein the second instruction set level exceeds the first instruction set level and is available to the application in conjunction with optimization, based on the setting one or more controls to selectively enable exclusive use in the optimizing, but is otherwise unknown or unavailable to the application,
wherein the first instruction set level and the second instruction set level are determined to be used by an instruction state context, and
wherein the one or more controls comprise a first control located in an entry of an address translation structure associated with the application to indicate use of extended mode features is enabled, and one or more second controls in a control register to indicate one or more specific extended mode features available to the application.

11. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more controls are located in a control register controlling execution of the application.

12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the setting the one or more controls comprises setting by the optimizer an extended mode enable control in the control register to enable the application to use the extended mode features.

13. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more controls are located in an entry of an address translation structure associated with the application.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
storing, based on the generating, the modified code in one or more memory regions separate from memory regions storing the unmodified code; and
creating one or more address translation structure entries corresponding to the one or more memory regions; and wherein
the setting the one or more controls comprises setting one or more extended mode enable controls in one or more address translation entries to enable the application to use extended mode features.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more controls comprises a plurality of controls individually representing a plurality of extended mode features.

Assignees

• IBM
• Int Businesss Machines Corp

Inventors

• Gschwind Michael K
• Salapura Valentina

Classifications

• G06F8/41 Primary

  Compilation · CPC title

• G06F8/443

  Optimisation · CPC title

• G06F9/4552 Primary

  Involving translation to a different instruction set architecture, e.g. just-in-time translation in a JVM · CPC title

• G06F9/30

  Arrangements for executing machine instructions, e.g. instruction decode (for executing microinstructions G06F9/22) · CPC title