Patent ID: 9424044
Filing Date: 2016-08-23
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A computer-implemented method to process instructions that include a branch instruction, the method comprising: determining, using a processor, whether or not the branch instruction is contained in a millicode routine, the determining being based on a marker generated by a compiler of the instructions; implementing, using the processor, branch prediction logic to obtain prediction information based on the branch instruction contained in the millicode routine and execution logic to execute instructions, the implementing the branch prediction logic including accessing a branch target buffer storing information obtained from previous execution of the branch; determining, prior to providing the prediction information to a second processor that processes the instructions, whether or not a branch end according to the instructions matches a predicted branch end according to the branch prediction, using the processor, based on the implementing the branch prediction logic and the execution logic; providing, using the processor, the prediction information to the second processor based on the branch end matching the predicted branch end and not providing the prediction information to the second processor based on the branch end not matching the predicted branch end; and prefetching, using the second processor, data in accordance with the prediction information based on the processor providing the prediction information to the second processor.