Patent ID: 9037837
Filing Date: 2015-05-19
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method, in a data processing system, for offloading a workload from a main thread to an assist thread, comprising: receiving, in a fetch unit of a processor of the data processing system, a branch-to-assist-thread instruction of a main thread, wherein the branch-to-assist-thread instruction informs hardware of the processor to look for an already spawned idle thread to be used as an assist thread; determining, by hardware implemented pervasive thread control logic in the processor, if one or more already spawned idle threads are available for use as an assist thread; selecting, by the hardware implemented pervasive thread control logic, an idle thread from the one or more already spawned idle threads if it is determined that one or more already spawned idle threads are available for use as an assist thread, to thereby provide the assist thread; and offloading, by the hardware implemented pervasive thread control logic, a portion of a workload of the main thread to the assist thread.