18122832. HARDWARE-DRIVEN CALL STACK ATTRIBUTION simplified abstract (NVIDIA Corporation)

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HARDWARE-DRIVEN CALL STACK ATTRIBUTION

Organization Name

NVIDIA Corporation

Inventor(s)

Avinash Bantval Baliga of Cedar Park TX (US)

Gregory Paul Smith of Cedar Park TX (US)

Magnus Strengert of Cedar Park TX (US)

HARDWARE-DRIVEN CALL STACK ATTRIBUTION - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18122832 titled 'HARDWARE-DRIVEN CALL STACK ATTRIBUTION

Simplified Explanation

This patent application describes apparatuses, systems, and techniques for hardware-driven call stack attribution, which involves generating and updating call stacks within a processing device during the execution of an application. It specifically focuses on determining branch identifiers associated with instructions being executed, identifying call stack identifiers of execution threads, and updating call stack identifiers based on the identified information.

  • Hardware-driven call stack attribution
  • Generating and updating call stacks during application execution
  • Determining branch identifiers for executed instructions
  • Identifying call stack identifiers for execution threads
  • Updating call stack identifiers based on branch and call stack identifiers

Key Features and Innovation

  • Real-time generation and updating of call stacks within a processing device
  • Hardware-driven approach for call stack attribution
  • Efficient determination of branch and call stack identifiers during application execution
  • Improved tracking and management of call stack information for execution threads
  • Enhanced performance and accuracy in identifying call stack information

Potential Applications

This technology can be applied in:

  • Debugging and performance optimization of software applications
  • Security analysis and threat detection in software systems
  • Profiling and monitoring of program execution for analysis purposes
  • Real-time tracking of call stack information in embedded systems
  • Enhancing the efficiency of software development tools and platforms

Problems Solved

  • Difficulty in accurately attributing call stack information during application execution
  • Inefficient tracking and management of call stack data within processing devices
  • Limited real-time visibility into the call stack information of execution threads
  • Challenges in identifying and updating call stack identifiers for improved performance

Benefits

  • Real-time and accurate call stack attribution within processing devices
  • Enhanced debugging and performance optimization capabilities for software applications
  • Improved security analysis and threat detection in software systems
  • Efficient profiling and monitoring of program execution for analysis purposes
  • Enhanced development and maintenance of software tools and platforms

Commercial Applications

  • Title: Hardware-Driven Call Stack Attribution Technology for Software Development
  • This technology can be utilized by software development companies to enhance debugging and performance optimization processes.
  • It can also be integrated into security software for improved threat detection and analysis.
  • The technology has potential applications in embedded systems, IoT devices, and cloud computing platforms.

Questions about Hardware-Driven Call Stack Attribution

How does hardware-driven call stack attribution differ from software-based approaches?

Hardware-driven call stack attribution utilizes the processing device's capabilities to generate and update call stacks in real-time, providing more efficient and accurate attribution compared to software-based methods.

What are the key benefits of implementing hardware-driven call stack attribution in software development?

Implementing hardware-driven call stack attribution can lead to improved debugging processes, enhanced performance optimization, better security analysis, and more efficient program execution monitoring.


Original Abstract Submitted

Apparatuses, systems, and techniques for hardware-driven call stack attribution. The apparatuses, systems, and techniques includes generating and updating call stacks within a processing device during execution of an application. In particular, determining a branch identifier associated with an instruction being executed by an execution thread, identifying a call stack identifier of the execution thread executing the instruction, and updating the call stack identifier of the execution thread based on the identified call stack identifier of the execution thread and the branch identifier.