1. A method implemented on a packet processor, the method comprising:
in response to receiving an incoming packet, checking workload usage of an isolation group (IG) associated with the incoming packet, wherein the IG is a classification of packets defined for the purpose of processing the incoming packet, and wherein the workload usage of the IG is a measure of packet processing consumed by the IG;
determining whether the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet indicates that the workload usage of the IG exceeds a predetermined threshold;
forwarding the incoming packet to be executed by a packet execution unit in response to the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet not exceeding the predetermined threshold; and
updating the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet based on execution of the incoming packet by the packet execution unit.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising classifying the incoming packet into an IG prior to checking the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising rejecting the incoming packet in response to the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet exceeding the predetermined threshold, wherein the rejection causes the incoming packet being either buffered, discarded, or being processed on a best-effort basis.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is configurable for each IG and the configuration is at least in part based on characteristics of each IG.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is updated at least in part based on workload usages of packets executed through the packet processor.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet is calculated at least in part based on an average per packet processing cycle time of packets within the IG.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet is calculated at least in part based on an average per packet usage of resources of packets within the IG.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the average per packet resource usage of packets within the IG is based on a plurality of counters counting resources used by packets within the IG.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of resource counters comprises at least a logical resource counter counting a usage of logical resources by packets within the IG, wherein the logical resources include functional modules that the packets are being processed through.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of resource counters comprises at least a physical resource counter counting a usage of physical resources, wherein the physical resources include memory modules that the packets are using or being processed through.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet is calculated at least in part based on a command depth measure of the IG in comparison to a command depth threshold.
12. A network element configured to serve as a packet processor, the network element comprising:
a scheduler configured to check workload usage of an isolation group (IG) associated with an incoming packet, wherein the IG is a classification of packets defined for the purpose of processing the incoming packet, and wherein the workload usage of the IG is a measure of packet processing consumed by the IG,
the scheduler further configured to determine whether the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet does not exceed a predetermined threshold, and
the scheduler further configured to forward the incoming packet to be executed by a packet execution unit in response to determination that the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet does not exceed the predetermined threshold; and
a workload usage manager communicatively coupled with the scheduler, the workload usage manager being configured to provide workload usages of an IG to the scheduler, the workload usage manager being further configured to update workload usages of the IG associated with an incoming packet based on execution of the incoming packet.
13. The network element of claim 12, further comprising an IG classifier configured to classify the incoming packet into an IG prior to checking the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet.
14. The network element of claim 12, wherein the scheduler further comprising a packet buffer configured to receiving the incoming packet in response to the workload usage the IG associated with the incoming packet being determined to exceed the predetermined threshold, wherein the rejection causes the incoming packet being either buffered for a future execution or current execution at a best-effort basis or discarded at the packet buffer.
15. The network element of claim 12, wherein the predetermined threshold is configurable for each IG and the configuration is at least in part based on characteristics of each IG.
16. The network element of claim 12, wherein the predetermined threshold is updated at least in part based on workload usages of packets executed through the packet processor.
17. The network element of claim 12, wherein the workload usage manager comprises an IG packet time tracker configured to calculate processing time of an IG, the calculation being at least in part based on an average per packet processing cycle time of packets within the IG.
18. The network element of claim 12, wherein the workload usage manager comprises an IG resource allocation tracker configured to calculate resource usage of an IG, the calculation being at least in part based on an average per packet resources usage of packets within the IG.
19. The network element of claim 18, further comprising a resource pool, wherein the resource pool comprising a plurality of usage counters configured to count resources used by packets within the IG.
20. The network element of claim 19, wherein the resource pool comprises at least a logical resource counter, the logical resource counter being configured to count logical resources used by packets within the IG, wherein the logical resources include functional modules that the packets are being processed through.
21. The network element of claim 19, wherein the resource pool comprises at least a physical resource counter counting a usage of physical resources, wherein the physical resources including memory modules packets are using or being processed through.
22. The network element of claim 12, the resource usage manager further comprising an IG resource command buildup tracker configured to measure a command depth of an IG in comparison to a command depth threshold.
23. A method implemented on a packet processor, the method comprising:
classifying an incoming packet into an isolation group (IG), wherein the IG is a classification of packets defined for the purpose of processing the incoming packet;
checking a workload usage indication of the IG associated with the incoming packet;
determining whether the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet indicates that the workload usage of the IG exceeds a predetermined threshold;
forwarding the incoming packet to be executed by a packet execution unit in response to the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet not exceeding the predetermined threshold;
rejecting the incoming packet in response to the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet not exceeding the predetermined threshold, wherein the rejection causes the incoming packet being either buffered, discarded, or being processed on a best-effort basis; and
updating the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet based on execution of the incoming packet by the packet execution unit.
24. A processor processing packets, the processor comprising:
an isolation group (IG) classifier configured to classify an incoming packet into an IG, wherein the IG is a classification of packets defined for the purpose of processing the incoming packet;
a scheduler communicatively coupled with the IG classifier, the scheduler being configured to check workload usage of an isolation group (IG) associated with an incoming packet, wherein the IG is a classification of packets defined for the purpose of processing the incoming packet, and wherein the workload usage of the IG is a measure of packet processing consumed by the IG,
the scheduler further configured to determine whether the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet exceeds a predetermined threshold, and
the scheduler further configured to forward the incoming packet to be executed by a packet execution unit in response to determination that the workload usage of the IG associated with the incoming packet does not exceed the predetermined threshold; and
a workload usage manager communicatively coupled with the scheduler, the workload usage manager being configured to provide workload usages of an IG to the scheduler, the workload usage manager being further configured to update workload usages of the IG associated with an incoming packet based on execution of the incoming packet.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for reading data from a memory cell, the method comprising:
determining whether a voltage value received from the memory cell is within at least one first voltage range based on a sensed output current corresponding to the received voltage value, the determining being performed through a one-time read operation using a semiconductor device that senses the output current corresponding to the received voltage value, the at least one first voltage range including a first upper limit voltage value and a first lower limit voltage value; and
setting a data value of the memory cell to a first data value corresponding to the at least one voltage range when the received voltage value is within the at least one first voltage range; wherein
the semiconductor device has negative differential transconductance.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further includes,
sensing an output current value corresponding to a received voltage value,
converting the sensed output current value into a voltage dimension value, and
determining whether the converted voltage value is within the at least one first voltage range.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory cell is a flash memory cell.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor device having the negative differential transconductance includes at least one of a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS), a Field-induced Interband Tunneling Effect Transistor (FITET), a Single Electron Transistor, and a Periodic Multiple Band Filter (PMBF).
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory cell is operated in accordance with a Single Level Cell (SLC) method, and a number of first voltage ranges is one.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory cell is operated in accordance with a Multi Level Cell (MLC) method.
7. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer or a component thereof to perform a method of reading data from a memory cell, the method comprising:
determining whether a voltage value received from the memory cell is within at least one first voltage range based on a sensed output current corresponding to the received voltage value, the determining being performed through a one-time read operation using a semiconductor device that senses the output current corresponding to the received voltage value, the at least one first voltage range including a first upper limit voltage value and a first lower limit voltage value; and
setting a data value of the memory cell to a first data value corresponding to the at least one voltage range when the received voltage value is within the at least one first voltage range; wherein
the semiconductor device has negative differential transconductance.
8. An apparatus for reading data from a memory cell, the apparatus comprising:
a determining circuit configured to determine whether a voltage value received from the memory cell is within at least one first voltage range based on a sensed output current corresponding to the received voltage value, the determining circuit including a semiconductor device that senses the output current corresponding to the received voltage value, the at least one first voltage range including a first upper limit voltage value and a first lower limit voltage value; and
a setting circuit configured to set a data value of the memory cell to a first data value corresponding to the at least one voltage range when the received voltage value is within the at least one first voltage range; wherein
the determining circuit uses a one-time read operation to determine whether a voltage value received from the memory cell is within at least one first voltage range, and
the semiconductor device has negative differential transconductance.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, further including,
a receiving circuit configured to receive a voltage value from the memory cell and output the voltage value to the determining circuit.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the determining unit further includes,
a sensing circuit configured to sense an output current value corresponding to a voltage value received by the semiconductor device,
a converting circuit configured to convert the sensed output current value into a voltage dimension value, and
a voltage range determining circuit configured to determine whether the converted voltage value is within the at least one first voltage range.
11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the memory cell is a flash memory cell.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the semiconductor device having the negative differential transconductance includes at least one of a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS), a Field-induced Interband Tunneling Effect Transistor (FITET), a Single Electron Transistor, and a Periodic Multiple Band Filter (PMBF).
13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein when the memory cell is operated according to a Single Level Cell (SLC) method.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein when the memory cell is operated according to a Multi Level Cell (MLC) method.