Patent · US Active

Centralized management of high-contention cache lines in multi-processor computing environments

US9086974B2 · kind B2 · utility

11Cited by
17References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 26, 2013
Grant dateJul 21, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 26, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2212/502
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Cache lines in a multi-processor computing environment are configurable with a coherency mode. Cache lines in full-line coherency mode are operated or managed with full-line granularity. Cache lines in sub-line coherency mode are operated or managed as sub-cache line portions of a full cache line. Communications detected on a coherence interconnect may indicate that a cache line is associated with performance-reducing events. A high-contention cache line may be placed in sub-line coherency mode. Caches accessing the cache line are notified that the cache line is in sub-line coherency mode. The cache line may be associated with a counter in a centralized detection table that is incremented based on detecting the communications. The cache line may be a high-contention cache line when the counter satisfies a high-contention criterion, such as reaching a threshold value. The cache line may be returned to full-line coherency mode when a reset criterion is satisfied.

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