Emulation method and computer system

• US 8,392,893 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Platforms, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Computertechno Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujihara, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWIFT, CHARLES M
• Application Number:
  US11/798,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: 703/23, 703/26, 717/134, 717/138, 717/151, 712/233, 712/234, 712/236, 712/237, 712/239, 712/240
• US Class Current: 717/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators

Abstract

The computer system of the present invention emulates target instructions. The computer system includes a processing unit for branching to collective emulation coding for emulating plural of target instructions created beforehand collectively, thereby processing those instructions collectively according to the coding when those target instructions are combined so as to be processed collectively and a memory for storing the collective emulation coding.

Claims

1. An emulation method, comprising the steps of:

creating beforehand an individual emulation coding, a collective emulation coding, and an instruction combination history table for denoting a relationship between a combination of a plurality of target instructions processed collectively and information denoting a branch destination of said collective emulation coding;

fetching, via a programmed processor, from a memory and decoding a plurality of target instructions which are called as current instructions hereafter; and

prior to the fetching from a memory the next target instruction to said current instructions, determining via a programmed processor whether or not it is possible to execute collective emulation for said current instructions based on the combination of said current instructions, and upon said determination being affirmative, branching to coding which is created in a memory beforehand, thereby executing said collective processing emulation according to said coding.

2. The emulation method according to claim 1, wherein the individual emulation coding is for emulating said plurality of target instructions individually, the collective emulation coding is for emulating said plurality of target instructions collectively, and the instruction combination history table denoting whether or not it is possible to execute said collective emulation processing for each combination of said target instructions,

and the method further comprises:

fetching and decoding said plurality of target instructions, then determining whether or not it is possible to execute said collective emulation for said plurality of target instructions by referring to said instruction combination table;

branching to said collective emulation coding when those instructions are combined so as to be processed collectively, then emulating those target instructions collectively according to said coding; and

And branching to said individual emulation coding when those instructions are not combined so as to be processed collectively, then emulating one target instruction according to said coding.

3. The emulation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

reading said identifying information and branching to said collective emulation coding when it is determined by referring to said process branch table that said identifying information is registered in said table, then executing said collective emulation according to said coding; and

fetching and decoding one target instruction when said identifying information is not registered in said table, then branching to said individual emulation coding to process said one target instruction according to said coding.

4. The emulation method according to claim 3, wherein said method further comprises executing simultaneously both of a processing for reading said identifying information, as well as a processing for fetching and decoding said one target instruction.

5. The emulation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

fetching and decoding a plurality of target instructions and branching to said collective emulation coding when said combination of said plurality of target instructions processed collectively is registered in said instruction combination history table, then processing those instructions collectively according to said coding; and

branching to said individual emulation coding when said combination is not registered in said table, then emulating said one target instruction according to said coding.

6. The emulation method according to claim 5, wherein the instruction combination history table further denotes whether or not it is possible to execute collective emulation for each combination of target instructions,

and the method further comprises:

determining whether or not it is possible to process said plurality of target instructions by referring to said instruction combination table when said combination is not registered in said table; and

branching to said collective emulation coding when said combination can be subjected to said collective emulation, then processing those instructions collectively according to said coding.

7. The emulation method according to claim 6, wherein said method further comprises:

executing simultaneously both of a processing for fetching and decoding a plurality of target instructions to be executed next and a processing for determining whether or not it is possible to process said plurality of target instructions collectively by referring to said instruction combination history table when a combination of said decoded plurality of target instructions is not registered in said table while said plurality of target instructions are processed according to said collective emulation coding or said individual emulation coding.

8. The emulation method according to claim 7, wherein said method uses different processors for executing the different steps of:

branching to said collective emulation coding or said individual emulation coding; and

fetching and decoding a plurality of target instructions to be executed next, then determining whether or not it is possible to process said plurality of target instructions collectively by referring to said instruction combination table when said combination of said decoded target instructions is not registered in said instruction combination history table.

9. The emulation method according to claim 7, further comprising:

rewriting said plurality of target instructions to non-used instruction codes when a plurality of target instructions to be executed next can be processed collectively.

10. The emulation method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction combination history table further denoting whether or not it is possible to execute collective emulation for each combination of target instructions, and

wherein a first target instructions are described in rows of said instruction combination table and said next target instructions of said current instructions are described in columns of said instruction combination history table.

11. A computer system, comprising:

a processing unit configured to fetch from a memory and to decode a plurality of target instructions which are called as current instructions hereafter,

wherein, prior to a fetching from a memory the next target instruction to said current instructions, the processing unit determines whether or not it is possible to execute collective emulation for said current instructions based on the combination of said current instructions, and upon said determination being affirmative, branches to coding which are created in memory beforehand, then processes said instructions collectively according to said coding; and

a memory for storing said collective emulation coding, said memory storing an instruction combination history table for denoting said individual emulation coding, said collective emulation coding, and a relationship between each combination of a plurality of target instructions processed collectively and information denoting a branch destination to said collective emulation coding.

12. The computer system according to claim 11,

wherein said memory further stores individual emulation coding for emulating target instructions created beforehand individually, collective emulation coding for emulating said plurality of target instructions collectively, and the instruction combination history table further denoting whether or not it is possible to execute said collective emulation for each combination of said target instructions, and

wherein said processing unit is configured to execute the processing for:

fetching and decoding a plurality of target instructions and determining whether or not it is possible process those instructions collectively by referring to said instruction combination table;

branching to said collective emulation coding when those target instructions are combined so as to be processed collectively, then processing those instructions collectively according to said coding; and

branching to said individual emulation coding when said instructions are not combined so as to be processed collectively, then processing one target instruction according to said coding.

13. The computer system according to claim 11,

wherein said processing unit reads said identifying information and branches to said collective emulation coding when it is determined by referring to said process branch table that said identifying information is registered in said table, then branching to said collective emulation coding to process those instructions collectively according to said coding or fetches and decodes one target instruction when said identifying information is not stored in said table, then branching to said individual emulation coding to process said one target instruction according to said coding.

14. The computer system according to claim 13,

wherein said processing unit executes both of a processing for reading said identifying information and a processing for fetching and decoding said one target instruction simultaneously.

15. The computer system according to claim 11,

wherein said processing unit fetches and decodes a plurality of target instructions, then branches to said collective emulation coding when said combination of said plurality of target instructions is registered in said instruction combination history table, then processes those instructions collectively according to said coding, and

branches to said individual emulation coding when said combination is not registered in said table, then processes one target instruction according to said coding.

16. The computer system according to claim 15,

wherein an the instruction combination history table further denoting whether or not it is possible to execute said collective emulation for each combination of said target instructions created beforehand, and

wherein said processing unit refers to said instruction combination table to determine whether or not it is possible to process said plurality of target instructions collectively when said combination of said plurality of decoded target instructions is not registered in said instruction combination history table;

and branches to said collective emulation coding when those instructions are combined so as to be processed collectively, then processing those instructions collectively according to said coding.

17. The computer system according to claim 16,

wherein said processing units executes simultaneously both of a processing for fetching and decoding a plurality of target instructions to be processed next and a processing for referring to said instruction combination table to determine whether or not it is possible to process those instructions collectively when said combination of said decoded target instructions is not registered in said table while said plurality of target instructions are processed according to said collective emulation coding or said individual emulation coding.

18. The computer system according to claim 17,

wherein said processing unit further includes:

a first processor for executing a processing according to said collective emulation coding or said individual emulation coding; and

a second processor for fetching and decoding a plurality of target instructions to be processed next, then referring to said instruction combination table to determine whether or not it is possible to process said plurality of target instructions collectively when said combination of said plurality of decoded target instructions is not registered in said instruction combination history table.

19. The computer system according to claim 17,

wherein said processing unit rewrites said plurality of target instructions to non-used instruction codes when said combination of said plurality of target instructions to be processed next can be subjected to said collective emulation.

20. The computer system according to claim 11,

wherein the instruction combination history table further denoting whether or not it is possible to execute collective emulation for each combination of target instructions, and

wherein a first target instructions are described in rows of said instruction combination table and said next target instructions of said current instructions are described in columns of said instruction combination history table.

21. A program stored on a computer memory configured to enable a computer to execute emulation, including the steps of:

creating beforehand an individual emulation coding, a collective emulation coding, and an instruction combination history table for denoting a relationship between a combination of a plurality of target instructions processed collectively and information denoting a branch destination of said collective emulation coding;

fetching from a memory and decode a plurality of target instructions which are called as current instructions hereafter,

prior to the fetching from the memory the next target instruction to said current instructions, determining whether or not it is possible to execute collective emulation for said current instructions based on the combination of said current instructions, and upon said determination being affirmative, branches to coding which are created in memory beforehand, then enables said computer to process those emulation instructions collectively according to said coding.

22. The program stored on a computer memory according to claim 21,

wherein said program further enables said computer to execute the steps of:

fetching and decoding a plurality of target instructions, then referring to the instruction combination history table for denoting whether or not it is possible to execute collective emulation for each combination of said target instructions created beforehand to determine whether or not it is possible to process those instructions collectively;

branching to said collective emulation coding when said plurality of target instructions are combined so as to be processed collectively, then processing those instructions created beforehand collectively according to said coding; and

branching to said individual emulation coding for emulating one target instruction created beforehand when said target instructions are not combined so as to be processed collectively, then processing said one target instruction according to said coding.

23. The program stored on a computer memory according to claim 21,

wherein said program further enables said computer to execute the steps of:

reading information for identifying said plurality of target instructions;

referring to the instruction combination history table for denoting a relationship between said identifying information and a branch destination of said collective emulation coding;

branching to said collective emulation coding when said read identifying information is registered in said process branch table, then processing those instructions collectively according to said coding; and

fetching and decoding one target instruction according to the instruction combination history table, then branching to said individual emulation coding to process said one target instruction individually.

24. The program stored on a computer memory according to claim 23,

wherein said program further enables said computer to execute simultaneously both of a processing for reading said identifying information and a processing for fetching and decoding said one target instruction.

25. The program stored on a computer memory according to claim 21,

wherein said program further enables said computer to execute the steps of:

fetching and decoding a plurality of target instructions;

referring to said instruction combination history table for denoting a relationship between a combination of a plurality of target instructions created beforehand and processed collectively and information for denoting a branch destination of said collective emulation coding;

branching to said collective emulation coding to process those instructions collectively when said combination of said plurality of decoded target instructions is registered in said instruction combination history table; and

branching to said individual emulation coding to process said one target instruction created beforehand when said combination is not registered in said table.

26. The program stored on a computer memory according to claim 25,

wherein said program further enables said computer to execute the steps of:

referring to said instruction combination table to determine whether or not it is possible to process said plurality of target instructions collectively when said combination of said plurality of decoded target instructions is not registered in said instruction combination history table for denoting whether or not it is possible to execute said collective emulation for each target instruction combination; and

branching to said collective emulation coding to process said target instructions collectively when said combination can be subjected to said collective emulation.

27. The program stored on a computer memory according to claim 26,

wherein said program enables said computer to execute simultaneously both of a processing for fetching and decoding a plurality of target instructions to be processed next and a processing for referring to said instruction combination table to determine whether or not it is possible to process said plurality of target instructions collectively when said combination of said decoded target instructions is not registered in said instruction combination history table while said plurality of target instructions are processed according to said collective emulation coding or said individual emulation coding.

28. The program stored on a computer memory according to claim 27,

wherein said program enables said computer to rewrite said plurality of target instructions to non-used instruction codes when a plurality of target instructions to be processed next can be processed collectively.

29. The program stored on a computer memory according to claim 21,

wherein the instruction combination history table further denoting whether or not it is possible to execute collective emulation for each combination of target instructions, and

wherein a first target instructions are described in rows of said instruction combination table and said next target instructions of said current instructions are described in columns of said instruction combination table.