Patent ID: 8521998
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for tracking instructions, in a processor, the method comprising: receiving, by a completion unit in the processor, an instruction group for a thread to add to a table to form a received instruction group; responsive to receiving, by the completion unit, the received instruction group, determining, by the completion unit, whether an entry is present that contains a previously stored instruction group in a first location and has space for storing the received instruction group; responsive to the entry being present, storing, by the completion unit, the received instruction group in a second location in the entry to form a stored instruction group; responsive to receiving, by the completion unit, the received instruction group, determining whether the space is available for the received instruction group in a particular entry containing a prior instruction group in which the prior instruction group is part of a same thread as the received instruction group and is immediately prior to the received instruction group in an order of instructions for processing for the thread; and responsive to the space being available in the particular entry, combining, by the completion unit, the received instruction group with the prior instruction group in the particular entry instead of performing the step of determining, by the completion unit, whether the entry is present that contains the previously stored instruction group and has the space for storing the received instruction group.