Patent · US Expired

Hierarchical cache arrangement wherein the replacement of an LRU entry in a second level cache is prevented when the cache entry is the only inclusive entry in the first level cache

US5584013A · kind A · utility

70Cited by
12References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 9, 1994
Grant dateDec 10, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 9, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F12/0811
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides balanced cache performance in a data processing system. The data processing system includes a first processor, a second processor, a first cache memory, a second memory and a control circuit. The first processor is connected to the first cache memory, which serves as a first level cache for the first processor. The second processor and the first cache memory are connected to the second cache memory, which serves as a second level cache for the first processor and as a first level cache for the second processor. Replacement of a set in the second cache memory results in the set being invalidated in the first cache memory. The control circuit is connected to the second level cache and prevents replacing from a second level cache congruence class all sets that are in the first cache.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.