Method and system for an atomically updated, central cache memory
US7020746B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 28, 2003 |
| Grant date | Mar 28, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 24, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG09G2370/027
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Disclosed is a central cache that is updated without the overhead of locking. Updates are “atomic” in that they cannot be interrupted part way through. Applications are always free to read data in the cache, accessing the data through a reference table. Applications do not directly update the cache, instead, they send update requests to a service routine. To update the cache, the service routine proceeds in two phases. In the first phase, the service routine prepares the new data and adds them to the cache, without updating the reference table. During the first phase, an application accessing the cache cannot “see” the new data because the reference table has not yet been updated. After the first phase is complete, the service routine performs the second phase of the update process: atomically updating the reference table. The two-phase update process leaves the cache, at all times, in a consistent state.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.