VIRTUALIZED LOCAL STORAGE

• US 20140068133A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Carlin R. Covey, Charles E. Cannon, David H. Hartley, Thomas E. Tkacik
• Inventors: TKACIK, THOMAS E., COVEY, CARLIN R., HARTLEY, DAVID H., CANNON, CHARLES E., ZIOLOWSKI, RODNEY D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,384,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/308
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1694 Configuration of memory controller to different memory types

Abstract

Embodiments of electronic circuits, computer systems, and associated methods include a module that accesses memory using virtual addressing, the memory including local memory that is local to the module and nonlocal memory that is accessible via a system bus coupled to the module, the module including logic coupled to the local memory via a local bus. The logic is configured to receive a memory access specified to a virtual address, determine whether the virtual address is within the local memory, and direct the memory access either to the local memory via the local bus or to the nonlocal memory via the system bus based on the determination.

Claims

1. An electronic circuit comprising:

a module that accesses memory using virtual addressing, the memory including local memory that is local to the module and nonlocal memory that is accessible via a system bus coupled to the module, the module comprising logic coupled to the local memory via a local bus, the logic configured to receive a memory access specified to a virtual address, determine whether the virtual address is within the local memory, and direct the memory access either to the local memory via the local bus or to the nonlocal memory via the system bus based on the determination.

2. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 wherein:

the logic determines whether the virtual address of the memory access is within address boundaries of the local memory and, if so, calculates a local memory address from the virtual address and directs the memory access to the local bus using the local memory address, bypassing the system bus.

3. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 wherein the module further comprises:

a software portal;

a plurality of registers configured with local memory virtual address information using the software portal; and

an address comparator coupled to the plurality of registers that uses the plurality of registers to determine whether the memory access is directed to the local bus or the system bus.

4. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 wherein the module further comprises:

a direct memory access (DMA) controller that uses virtual addressing; and

an address comparator coupled to the DMA controller that determines whether the memory access is directed to the local bus or the system bus and bypasses the system bus when the DMA controller accesses the local memory.

5. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 wherein the module further comprises:

a plurality of software portals;

a plurality of registers configured with local memory virtual address information using the plurality of software portals, the plurality of registers comprising distinct local memory virtual address registers respectively allocated for the plurality of software portals designating respective distinct local memory partitions;

a direct memory access (DMA) controller that uses virtual addressing and indicates an indicated software portal of the plurality of software portals for which the memory access is made; and

an address comparator that selects local memory virtual address registers for the indicated software portal and directs local memory accesses via the local bus to a distinct local memory partition corresponding to the indicated software portal.

6. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 wherein:

the module further comprises logic that generates a modified virtual address from a received virtual address by performing addition, subtraction, or truncation and accesses the local memory using the modified virtual address.

7. A computer system comprising:

an electronic circuit comprising;

a system bus;

a nonlocal memory coupled to the system bus;

a module coupled to the system bus comprising logic and a local memory, the module configured to access the local memory and the nonlocal memory using virtual addressing, the logic configured to receive a memory access specified to a virtual address, determine whether the virtual address is within the local memory, and direct the memory access either directly to the local memory or to the nonlocal memory via the system bus based on the determination; and

a processor coupled to the system bus that executes instructions including instructions for accessing the local memory and the nonlocal memory.

8. The computer system according to claim 7 further comprising:

executable logic comprising;

at least one operating system that configures the electronic circuit and manages a plurality of processes; and

the plurality of processes that provide context for executables executing on the processor.

9. The computer system according to claim 7 further comprising:

executable logic comprising at least one operating system that creates and manages a map for converting virtual addresses to physical addresses for a plurality of processes, and configures memory management with the map for ones of the plurality of processes.

10. The computer system according to claim 7 further comprising:

the module further comprising a plurality of portals, a plurality of local memory virtual address registers, and a plurality of local memory partitions; and

executable logic comprising at least one operating system that assigns the plurality of portals selectively to a plurality of processes comprising allocating the plurality of local memory virtual address registers selectively to the plurality of portals, allocating the plurality of local memory partitions selectively to the plurality of portals, and configuring local memory virtual addresses for the plurality of processes.

11. The computer system according to claim 7 further comprising:

executable logic comprising executables that operate the module using instructions dispatched to the module using virtual addresses configured for a plurality of processes.

12. The computer system according to claim 7 further comprising:

executable logic comprising executables configured to operate the module wherein the module further comprises a direct memory access (DMA) controller that uses virtual addressing and the module selectively accesses the local memory and the nonlocal memory using the DMA controller on behalf of the executables.

13. The computer system according to claim 7 further comprising:

the module further comprising a portal; and

executable logic comprising at least one operating system and a plurality of processes wherein the plurality of processes time-share the portal and the at least one operating system resets a local memory virtual address configuration during re-assignment of the portal.

14. The computer system according to claim 7 further comprising:

executable logic comprising;

a plurality of virtual machines that provide context for a respective guest operating system of a plurality of guest operating systems; and

a hypervisor that configures the electronic circuit and manages the plurality of virtual machines, the hypervisor configured to create and manage a map for converting virtual addresses to physical addresses for the plurality of guest operating systems, and configures memory management with the map for ones of the plurality of virtual machines.

15. The computer system according to claim 7 further comprising:

the module further comprising a plurality of portals, a plurality of local memory virtual address registers, and a plurality of local memory partitions; and

executable logic comprising a hypervisor that partitions the local memory and the plurality of portals among a plurality of virtual machines, and configures a local memory virtual address for the plurality of virtual machines in the local memory virtual address registers for an assigned portal of the plurality of portals, the hypervisor configured to assign a virtual machine virtual address to ones of the plurality of virtual machines, the virtual machine virtual address comprising a selected portal and a selected local memory partition.

16. The computer system according to claim 7 further comprising:

executable logic comprising a guest operating system running on a virtual machine that operates the module using guest operating system instructions dispatched to the module using a virtual address configured for the virtual machine.

17. The computer system according to claim 7 further comprising:

the module further comprising a direct memory access (DMA) controller and a portal; and

executable logic comprising a guest operating system running on a virtual machine that accesses the local memory and the nonlocal memory using the DMA controller on behalf of the guest operating system as specified by a virtual address configured for the virtual machine and a portal indicated for making the access.

18. A method of operating a computer system comprising:

receiving a memory access request specified to a virtual address;

determining whether the virtual address is within local memory; and

directing the memory access either to the local memory via the local bus or to a nonlocal memory via the system bus based on the determination.

19. The method of operating a computer system according to claim 18 further comprising:

executing instructions including instructions for accessing the local memory and the nonlocal memory; and

running an operating system comprising;

configuring components of the computer system;

managing a plurality of processes that provide context for executables executing on the computer system;

creating a map for converting virtual addresses to physical addresses for the plurality of processes;

managing the map; and

configuring memory management with the map for the plurality of processes.

20. The method of operating a computer system according to claim 18 further comprising:

running an operating system comprising;

assigning a plurality of portals selectively to a plurality of processes;

allocating a plurality of local memory virtual address registers selectively to the plurality of portals;

allocating a plurality of local memory partitions selectively to the plurality of portals; and

configuring local memory virtual addresses for the plurality of processes.