[PATCH v2 0/2] RISC-V: Optimize memset for data sizes less than 16 bytes

From: zhangfei
Date: Wed May 10 2023 - 21:26:50 EST


From: zhangfei <zhangfei@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

At present, the implementation of the memset function uses byte by byte storage
when processing tail data or when the initial data size is less than 16 bytes.
This approach is not efficient. Therefore, I filled head and tail with minimal
branching. Each conditional ensures that all the subsequently used offsets are
well-defined and in the dest region. Although this approach may result in
redundant storage, compared to byte by byte storage, it allows storage instructions
to be executed in parallel, reduces the number of jumps, and ultimately achieves
performance improvement.

I used the code linked below for performance testing and commented on the memset
that calls the arm architecture in the code to ensure it runs properly on the
risc-v platform.

[1] https://github.com/ARM-software/optimized-routines/blob/master/string/bench/memset.c#L53

The testing platform selected RISC-V SiFive U74.The test data is as follows:

Before optimization
---------------------
Random memset (bytes/ns):
memset_call 32K:0.45 64K:0.35 128K:0.30 256K:0.28 512K:0.27 1024K:0.25 avg 0.30

Medium memset (bytes/ns):
memset_call 8B:0.18 16B:0.48 32B:0.91 64B:1.63 128B:2.71 256B:4.40 512B:5.67
Large memset (bytes/ns):
memset_call 1K:6.62 2K:7.02 4K:7.46 8K:7.70 16K:7.82 32K:7.63 64K:1.40

After optimization
---------------------
Random memset bytes/ns):
memset_call 32K:0.46 64K:0.35 128K:0.30 256K:0.28 512K:0.27 1024K:0.25 avg 0.31
Medium memset (bytes/ns )
memset_call 8B:0.27 16B:0.48 32B:0.91 64B:1.64 128B:2.71 256B:4.40 512B:5.67
Large memset (bytes/ns):
memset_call 1K:6.62 2K:7.02 4K:7.47 8K:7.71 16K:7.83 32K:7.63 64K:1.40

>From the results, it can be seen that memset has significantly improved its performance with
a data volume of around 8B, from 0.18 bytes/ns to 0.27 bytes/ns.

The previous work was as follows:
1. "[PATCH] riscv: Optimize memset"
6d1cbe2e.3c31d.187eb14d990.Coremail.zhangfei@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks,
Fei Zhang

Andrew Jones (1):
RISC-V: lib: Improve memset assembler formatting

arch/riscv/lib/memset.S | 143 ++++++++++++++++++++--------------------
1 file changed, 72 insertions(+), 71 deletions(-)

zhangfei (1):
RISC-V: lib: Optimize memset performance

arch/riscv/lib/memset.S | 40 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---
1 file changed, 37 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)