MANAGING CONFIDENCE LEVELS IN A COMPUTING SYSTEM

• US 20100169716A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zlotnick, Aviad, Factor, Michael E., Ben-Yehuda, Shmuel
• Application Number:
  US12/346,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169716A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3842 Speculative instruction execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3863 using multiple copies of the architectural state, e.g. shadow registers

Abstract

A method for managing confidence levels in a computing system is provided. The method comprises determining a first confidence level associated with a first operation performed in the computing system. The first confidence level indicates probability that the first operation was performed successfully and is calculated based on attributes of one or more components in the computing system. Once the first confidence level is determined, the first confidence level is compared to a confidence threshold for the first operation. If the first confidence level is less than the confidence threshold, a first remedial action is taken to raise the first confidence level.

Claims

1. A method for managing confidence levels in a computing system, the method comprising:

determining a first confidence level associated with a first operation performed in the computing system,

wherein the first confidence level indicates probability that the first operation was performed successfully, and

wherein the first confidence level is calculated based on attributes of one or more components in the computing system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the first confidence level to a confidence threshold for the first operation; and

taking a first remedial action, in response to determining that the first confidence level is less than the confidence threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first remedial action comprises generating a warning.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first remedial action comprises determining a solution to raise the first confidence level above the confidence threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first confidence level is provided by a component that performed the first operation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first confidence level is statically set to a default value.

7. A method for managing confidence levels in a computing system, the method comprising:

determining a first confidence level associated with a first operation performed in the computing system, wherein the first operation is part of a first instruction stream;

determining a second confidence level associated with a second operation performed in the computing system, wherein the second operation is part of the first instruction stream; and

determining an aggregated confidence level associated with the first instruction stream by combining the first and second confidence levels into a single value.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

comparing the aggregated confidence level with a confidence threshold for the first instruction stream; and

taking a first remedial action, in response to determining that the aggregated confidence level is less than the confidence threshold for the first instruction stream.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first remedial action comprises generating a warning.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first remedial action comprises determining a solution to raise the aggregated confidence level above the confidence threshold.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing the aggregated confidence level in a dedicated register.

12. A system for managing confidence levels in a computing system, the system comprising:

a logic unit for determining a first confidence level associated with a first operation performed in the computing system,

wherein the first confidence level indicates probability that the first operation was performed successfully, and

wherein the first confidence level is calculated based on attributes of one or more components in the computing system.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a logic unit for comparing the first confidence level to a first confidence threshold for the first operation; and

a logic unit for taking a first remedial action, in response to determining that the first confidence level is less than the first confidence threshold.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first remedial action comprises generating a warning.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first remedial action comprises determining a solution to raise the first confidence level above the first confidence threshold.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a logic unit for determining a second confidence level associated with a second operation performed in the computing system, wherein the first and second operations are part of a first instruction stream; and

a logic unit for determining an aggregated confidence level associated with the first instruction stream by combining the first and second confidence levels into a single value.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a logic unit for comparing the aggregated confidence level with a second confidence threshold for the first instruction stream; and

a logic unit for taking a second remedial action, in response to determining that the aggregated confidence level is less than the second confidence threshold.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the second remedial action comprises generating a warning.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the second remedial action comprises determining a solution to raise the aggregated confidence level above the second confidence threshold.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising a logic unit for storing the aggregated confidence level in a dedicated register.