Patent ID: 8051247

Claim:
A circuit for tracking memory operations in an out-of-order and speculative processor, where the circuit is adapted for use with a trace unit and with an execution unit of the processor, where the trace unit sequences traces for execution thereby forming a trace sequence order, where each of the traces includes a sequence of operations that includes zero or more of the memory operations, where the execution unit executes the operations and has an architectural state, and where the circuit comprises: a first memory configured to cache at least some of the data accessed by the memory operations, where the memory operations being executed form a set of active memory operations, where the active memory operations have a predefined program order among themselves, where the predefined program order imposes a set of ordering constraints, and where at least some of the active memory operations access the memory in an execution order that is different from the predefined program order; a second memory configured to receive and hold a set of checkpoint entries, where each checkpoint entry is associated with one of the traces, where each checkpoint entry is of a checkpoint location within the first memory, where each checkpoint entry includes checkpoint data indicating a state of the checkpoint location within the first memory prior to an update of the checkpoint location, and where the update results from executing one of the active memory operations; and a sub-circuit configured to invalidate all of the checkpoint entries associated with the first particular trace after a commitment of the first particular trace, provided that the first particular trace does commit; where none of the operations of a first particular one of the traces has any effect on the architectural state prior to the commitment of the first particular trace, and where the first particular trace becomes eligible for the commitment after the execution completes for all operations of the first particular trace.