SELECTION OF PROCESSOR CORES FOR OPTIMAL THERMAL PERFORMANCE

• US 20070260895A1
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Aguilar, Maximino, Johns, Charles, Stafford, James, Nutter, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management

Abstract

A computer implemented method, data processing system, computer usable code, and apparatus are provided for optimizing the thermal performance of a computer system. A set of processor cores associated with the computer system are identified. A thermal index is requested for each of the set of processor cores and the processor cores are ranked based on the thermal index. Software is then mapped to execute on an optimal processor core form the set of processor cores based on the ranking.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for optimizing thermal performance of a computer system, the computer implemented method comprising:

identifying a set of processor cores associated with the computer system;

requesting a thermal index for each of the set of processor cores to form a set of thermal indexes;

ranking the processor cores based on the set of thermal indexes; and

mapping software to execute on an optimal processor core form the set of processor cores based on the ranking.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the ranking in a data structure.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the ranking is an optimal thermal performance ranking of the set of processor cores.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the thermal index is a thermal efficiency for each of the processor cores in the set of processor cores.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying an instruction stream of the software.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

reducing bandwidth allocation.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the thermal index is generated by a compiler.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the thermal index is a single number.

9. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to identify a set of processor cores associated with the computer system;

request a thermal index for each of the set of processor cores to form a set of thermal indexes;

rank the processor cores based on the set of thermal indexes; and

map software to execute on an optimal processor core form the set of processor cores based on the ranking.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to store the ranking in a data structure.

11. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the ranking is an optimal thermal performance ranking of the set of processor cores.

12. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the thermal index is a thermal efficiency for each of the processor cores in the set of processor cores.

13. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to modify an instruction stream of the software.

14. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to reduce bandwidth allocation.

15. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the thermal index is generated by a compiler.

16. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the thermal index is a single number.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for optimizing thermal performance of a computer system, the computer program product including;

computer usable program code for identifying a set of processor cores associated with the computer system;

computer usable program code for requesting a thermal index for each of the set of processor cores to form a set of thermal indexes;

computer usable program code for ranking the processor cores based on the set of thermal indexes; and

computer usable program code for mapping software to execute on an optimal processor core form the set of processor cores based on the ranking.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further including:

computer usable program code for storing the ranking in a data structure.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the ranking is an optimal thermal performance ranking of the set of processor cores.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the thermal index is a thermal efficiency for each of the processor cores in the set of processor cores.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, further including:

computer usable program code for modifying an instruction stream of the software.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, further including:

computer usable program code for reducing bandwidth allocation.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the thermal index is generated by a compiler.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the thermal index is a single number.

25. An apparatus for optimizing thermal performance of a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

identifying means for identifying a set of processor cores associated with the computer system;

requesting means for requesting a thermal index for each of the set of processor cores to form a set of thermal indexes;

ranking means for ranking the processor cores based on the set of thermal indexes; and

mapping means for mapping software to execute on an optimal processor core form the set of processor cores based on the ranking.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

storing means for storing the ranking in a data structure.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the ranking is an optimal thermal performance ranking of the set of processor cores.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the thermal index is a thermal efficiency for each of the processor cores in the set of processor cores.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

modifying means for modifying an instruction stream of the software.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

reducing means for reducing bandwidth allocation.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the thermal index is generated by a compiler.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the thermal index is a single number.