Computer system with processor cache that stores remote cache presence information
US7096323B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 27, 2002 |
| Grant date | Aug 22, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 27, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02D10/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A computer system with a processor cache that stores remote cache presence information. In one embodiment, a plurality of presence vectors are stored to indicate whether particular blocks of data mapped to another node are being remotely cached. Rather than storing the presence vectors in a dedicated storage, the remote cache presence vectors may be stored in designated locations of a cache memory subsystem, such as an L2 cache, associated with a processor core. For example, a designated way of the cache memory subsystem may be allocated for storing remote cache presence vectors, while the remaining ways of the cache are used to store normal processor data. New data blocks may be remotely cached in response to evictions from the cache memory subsystem. In yet a further embodiment, additional entries of the cache memory subsystem may be used for storing directory entries to filter probe command and response traffic.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.