Patent · US Active

Allocation and write policy for a glueless area-efficient directory cache for hotly contested cache lines

US8631210B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
9References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 5, 2013
Grant dateJan 14, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 5, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2212/2542
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to allocation and/or write policy for a glueless area-efficient directory cache for hotly contested cache lines are described. In one embodiment, a directory cache stores data corresponding to a caching status of a cache line. The caching status of the cache line is stored for each of a plurality of caching agents in the system. An write-on-allocate policy is used for the directory cache by using a special state (e.g., snoop-all state) that indicates one or more snoops are to be broadcasted to all agents in the system. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

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