Scope-based cache coherence
US7308538B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 4, 2004 |
| Grant date | Dec 11, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 21, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F12/0831
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
With scope-based cache coherence, a cache can maintain scope information for a memory address. The scope information specifies caches in which data of the address is potentially cached, but not necessarily caches in which data of the address is actually cached. Appropriate scope information can be used as snoop filters to reduce unnecessary coherence messages and snoop operations in SMP systems. If a cache maintains scope information of an address, it can potentially avoid sending cache requests to caches outside the scope in case of a cache miss on the address. Scope information can be adjusted dynamically via a scope calibration operation to reflect changing data access patterns. A calibration prediction mechanism can be employed to predict when a scope calibration needs to be invoked.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.