Memory controller and method for clearing or copying memory utilizing register files to store address information
First Claim
1. A memory controller comprising:
- a resource allocating unit coupled to a plurality of resource units, the resource allocating unit to indicate which of the plurality of resource units are available at a particular instant in time;
a first register file comprising fields to store information that defines a first block of memory locations in a memory; and
a first resource unit of the plurality of resource units, coupled to the first register file, to clear the first block of memory locations as defined in the first register file by writing predetermined data to the first block of memory locations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A memory controller and method for clearing and copying memory in a computer system. The memory controller includes a register file having fields that store information that defines a first block of memory and indicates whether the first block of memory is to be cleared or copied to a first destination, and a first resource unit that clears or copies the first block of memory to the first destination as indicated by the first register file. The register file may store the starting address and length or size of the first block of memory, or a starting and ending address of the first block of memory. The name of the operation to be performed by the first resource unit may also be stored in the register file. A clearing operation may be performed by invalidating cache data that corresponds to the block of memory and writing zeros into the block of memory. A second register file and resource unit may also be provided and a second block of memory cleared or copied simultaneously with the first block of memory.
89 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A memory controller comprising:
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a resource allocating unit coupled to a plurality of resource units, the resource allocating unit to indicate which of the plurality of resource units are available at a particular instant in time; a first register file comprising fields to store information that defines a first block of memory locations in a memory; and a first resource unit of the plurality of resource units, coupled to the first register file, to clear the first block of memory locations as defined in the first register file by writing predetermined data to the first block of memory locations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A memory controller comprising:
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a resource allocating unit coupled to a plurality of resource units the resource allocating unit to indicate which of the plurality of resource units are available at a particular instant in time; a first register file comprising fields to store information that defines a first block of memory locations in a memory and a first destination of where to copy contents of the first block of memory locations; and a first resource unit of the plurality of resource units, coupled to the first register file, to copy the contents of the first block of memory locations to the first destination as defined in the first register file. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A memory controller comprising:
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a first register file comprising fields to store information that defines a first block of memory locations in a memory and indicates whether the first block of memory locations is to be cleared or whether contents of the first block of memory locations are to be copied to a first destination; and a first resource unit, coupled to the first register file, to clear the first block of memory locations or copy the contents of the first block of memory locations to the first destination as indicated by the first register file. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer system, comprising:
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a first bus; a processor coupled to the first bus; a memory; a second bus; and a bridge memory controller, coupled to the first bus, the memory, and the second bus, comprising; a first register file comprising fields to store information that defines a first block of memory locations in the memory and indicates whether the first block of memory locations is to be cleared or whether contents of the first block of memory locations are to be copied to a first destination, and a first resource unit to clear the first block of memory locations or copy the contents of the first block of memory locations to the first destination as indicated by the first register file. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for clearing and copying a block of memory locations in a memory, comprising:
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storing, in an operation field in a register file of a bridge memory controller, a name of an operation to be performed on the block of memory locations in the memory; storing, in a starting address field in the register file of the bridge memory controller, a starting address of the block of memory locations; storing, in a destination address field in the register file of the bridge memory controller, a destination address of where the block of memory locations is to be copied if the name of the operation to be performed is a copy operation; reading data from the block of memory locations and copying the data to the destination address if the name of the operation to be performed is the copy operation; and invalidating cache data in a processor, the cache data corresponding to the block of memory locations, and writing zeros into the block of memory locations if the name of the operation to be performed is a clear operation. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification