System interconnect dynamic scaling by lane width and operating frequency balancing
First Claim
1. A method of managing a physical link layer of an external interface connecting processing units within a computer system, the method comprising:
- receiving an indication of a required bandwidth for operation of the physical link layer;
from the required bandwidth, determining an active width and operating frequency for the physical link layer that meet the required bandwidth;
setting a current active width of the physical link layer to the determined active width;
setting a current operating frequency of the physical link layer to the determined operating frequency;
operating the physical link layer using the current active width and the current operating frequency;
predicting a future bandwidth requirement for the physical link layer, and wherein the receiving receives the predicted future bandwidth requirement;
determining whether or not a current utilization of the external interface is less than a threshold usage;
evaluating a quality of the predicting;
comparing the quality of the predicting to a threshold quality; and
responsive to determining that the current utilization of the external interface is less than the threshold usage and responsive to the comparing determining that the quality of the predicting is less than the threshold quality, reducing at least one of the current operating frequency or the current active width, wherein the reducing the at least one of the current operating frequency or the current active width comprises reducing the current operating frequency while maintaining the current active width of the physical link layer.
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Abstract
Interface management techniques provide reduced power consumption along with reducing heat and EMI generation in a computer system having multiple interconnected processing units. Physical link layers of external interfaces that interconnect the processing units have dynamically adjustable bandwidth provided by an adjustable width and adjustable operating frequency. The bandwidths may be dynamically adjusted by predicting interface bandwidth requirements. From a required bandwidth, an active width and an operating frequency for the physical link layers are determined and set. The interface is operated according to the determined width and operating frequency.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method of managing a physical link layer of an external interface connecting processing units within a computer system, the method comprising:
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receiving an indication of a required bandwidth for operation of the physical link layer; from the required bandwidth, determining an active width and operating frequency for the physical link layer that meet the required bandwidth; setting a current active width of the physical link layer to the determined active width; setting a current operating frequency of the physical link layer to the determined operating frequency; operating the physical link layer using the current active width and the current operating frequency; predicting a future bandwidth requirement for the physical link layer, and wherein the receiving receives the predicted future bandwidth requirement; determining whether or not a current utilization of the external interface is less than a threshold usage; evaluating a quality of the predicting; comparing the quality of the predicting to a threshold quality; and
responsive to determining that the current utilization of the external interface is less than the threshold usage and responsive to the comparing determining that the quality of the predicting is less than the threshold quality, reducing at least one of the current operating frequency or the current active width, wherein the reducing the at least one of the current operating frequency or the current active width comprises reducing the current operating frequency while maintaining the current active width of the physical link layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of managing a physical link layer of an external interface connecting processing units within a computer system, the method comprising:
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receiving an indication of a required bandwidth for operation of the physical link layer; from the required bandwidth, determining an active width and operating frequency for the physical link layer that meet the required bandwidth; setting a current active width of the physical link layer to the determined active width; setting a current operating frequency of the physical link layer to the determined operating frequency; operating the physical link layer using the current active width and the current operating frequency; predicting a future bandwidth requirement for the physical link layer, and wherein the receiving receives the predicted future bandwidth requirement; determining whether or not a current utilization of the external interface is less than a threshold usage; evaluating a quality of the predicting; comparing the quality of the predicting to a threshold quality; and
responsive to determining that the current utilization of the external interface is less than the threshold usage and responsive to the comparing determining that the quality of the predicting is less than the threshold quality, reducing at least one of the current operating frequency or the current active width, wherein the reducing the at least one of the current operating frequency or the current active width comprises reducing the current active width while maintaining the current operating frequency of the physical link layer.
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Specification