Methods and apparatus for increasing the efficiency of a higher level cache by selectively performing writes to the higher level cache
US6351796B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 22, 2000 |
| Grant date | Feb 26, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 22, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F12/0897
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for storing data in a multi-level memory hierarchy having at least a lower level cache and a higher level cache. Relevancy information is maintained for various data values stored in the lower level cache, the relevancy information indicating whether the various data values stored in the lower level cache, if lost, could only be generated from corresponding data stored in the higher level cache. If one of the various data values stored in the lower level cache is to be updated, a determination as to whether corresponding data should be stored in the higher level cache is based at least in part on 1) the status of the relevancy information corresponding to the one of the various data values stored in the lower level cache which is to be updated, and 2) whether the updated value which is to be written into the lower level cache matches one or more select data value patterns.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.