SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SHARING MEMORY BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF PROCESSORS

• US 20120317356A1
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Ignatowski, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/156,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20120317356A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1657 Access to multiple memories
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0002 using resistive RAM [RRAM] elements
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0004 comprising amorphous/crystalline phase transition cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0007 comprising metal oxide memory material, e.g. perovskites

Abstract

Systems and methods for sharing memory between a plurality of processors are provided. In one example, a shared memory system is disclosed. The system includes at least two processors and at least two memory devices, such as passive variable resistive memory (PVRM) devices. Each memory device is operatively connected to each processor via one of a plurality of processor interfaces. Each processor interface is dedicated to a single processor of the at least two processors. In this manner, any individual processor of the at least two processors is operative to access data stored in any individual memory device of the at least two memory devices via the processor interface dedicated to that respective individual processor.

Claims

1. A shared memory system comprising:

at least two processors;

at least two memory devices, each memory device operatively connected to each processor via one of a plurality of processor interfaces, wherein each processor interface is dedicated to a single processor of the at least two processors; and

wherein any individual processor of the at least two processors is operative to access data stored in any individual memory device of the at least two memory devices via the processor interface dedicated to a respective individual processor.

2. The shared memory system of claim 1, wherein the at least two memory devices comprise passive variable resistive memory (PVRM).

3. The shared memory system of claim 2, wherein the PVRM comprises at least one of phase-change memory, spin-torque transfer magnetoresistive memory, and memristor memory.

4. The shared memory system of claim 1, further comprising:

an assembly, wherein the assembly comprises the at least two processors.

5. The shared memory system of claim 4, wherein the assembly further comprises the at least two memory devices, and wherein each memory device is operatively connected to each processor via a respective dedicated bus.

6. The shared memory system of claim 4, wherein each memory device is external to the assembly and operatively connected to each processor via a respective dedicated bus.

7. The shared memory system of claim 1, wherein each memory device comprises arbitration logic and at least one memory bank, the arbitration logic operatively connected to each at least one memory bank and each processor interface, wherein the arbitration logic is operative to determine which individual processor of the at least two processors to provide with exclusive access to any at least one memory bank at a given time.

8. The shared memory system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two processors further comprises RAID mode initialization logic operative to configure the at least two memory devices as a RAID memory system.

9. The shared memory system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two memory devices comprises a parity memory device operative to store parity data used to reconstruct data requested from at least one memory device other than the at least one parity memory device.

10. The shared memory system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the at least two processors further comprises:

RAID parity data generation logic operative to generate the parity data for storage in the at least one parity memory device; and

RAID data reconstruction logic operative to reconstruct requested data that was not received from a defective memory device based on the parity data.

11. A shared memory system comprising:

at least two processors;

at least two memory modules, each memory module operatively connected to each processor via one of a plurality of processor interfaces, wherein each processor interface is dedicated to a single processor of the at least two processors; and

wherein any individual processor of the at least two processors is operative to access data stored in any individual memory module of the at least two memory modules via the processor interface dedicated to a respective individual processor.

12. The shared memory system of claim 11, wherein each processor is operatively connected to a dedicated power supply such that a power failure associated with any individual processor will not prohibit another processor from accessing data stored in any of the memory modules.

13. The shared memory system of claim 11, wherein the at least two memory modules comprise passive variable resistive memory (PVRM).

14. The shared memory system of claim 13, wherein the PVRM comprises at least one of phase-change memory, spin-torque transfer magnetoresistive memory, and memristor memory.

15. The shared memory system of claim 11, further comprising:

an assembly, wherein the assembly comprises the at least two processors.

16. The shared memory system of claim 15, wherein the assembly further comprises the at least two memory modules, and wherein each memory module is operatively connected to each processor via a respective dedicated bus.

17. The shared memory system of claim 15, wherein each memory module is external to the assembly and operatively connected to each processor via a respective dedicated bus.

18. The shared memory system of claim 16, wherein at least one memory module of the at least two memory modules comprises a plurality of memory devices arranged in a stacked configuration.

19. The shared memory system of claim 11, wherein each memory module comprises arbitration logic and at least one memory device, the arbitration logic operatively connected to each at least one memory device and each processor interface, wherein the arbitration logic is operative to determine which individual processor of the at least two processors to provide with exclusive access to any at least one memory device at a given time.

20. The shared memory system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two processors further comprises RAID mode initialization logic operative to configure the at least two memory modules as a RAID memory system.

21. The shared memory system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two memory modules comprises a parity memory module operative to store parity data used to reconstruct data requested from at least one memory device other than the at least one parity memory device.

22. The shared memory system of claim 21, wherein at least one of the at least two processors further comprises:

RAID parity data generation logic operative to generate the parity data for storage in the at least one parity memory module; and

RAID data reconstruction logic operative to reconstruct requested data that was not received from a defective memory module based on the parity data.

23. A method for making a shared memory system, the method comprising:

placing at least two processors on an assembly;

placing at least two memory devices on the assembly; and

operatively connecting each memory device to each processor via one of a plurality of processor interfaces, wherein each processor interface is dedicated to a single processor of the at least two processors.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

placing the assembly on a socket package.

25. A method for making a shared memory system, the method comprising:

placing at least two processors on an assembly;

placing at least two memory modules on the assembly; and

operatively connecting each memory module to each processor via one of a plurality of processor interfaces, wherein each processor interface is dedicated to a single processor of the at least two processors.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

placing the assembly on a socket package.

27. A method for sharing memory between at least two processors, the method comprising:

receiving, by a memory module, a first memory request from a first processor via a dedicated first processor interface;

receiving, by the memory module, a second memory request from a second processor via a dedicated second processor interface; and

determining, by the memory module, which memory request of the first and second memory requests to honor first in time.