Methods and systems for tracking addresses stored in non-home cache locations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016110294-A1
Application number	US-201414515333-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 15, 2014
Priority date	Oct 15, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking addresses stored in non-home locations in a cache. A method includes determining if an address that is to be stored in a cache is to be stored in a non-home location, determining if a directory has a location available for storing an identifier of the non-home location and if one or more locations of the directory are available for storing an identifier of the non-home location, storing an identifier of the non-home location in one of the one or more locations of the directory. The method further includes invalidating a non-home location in the cache that corresponds to one of the one or more locations of the directory, if none of the one or more locations of the directory are available for storing an identifier of the non-home location, and storing an identifier of the non-home location in the one of the one or more locations.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of tracking addresses stored in non-home locations in a cache, said method comprising:
determining if an address that is to be stored in a cache is to be stored in a non-home location; determining if a directory has a location available for storing an identifier of said non-home location; and if one or more locations of a directory are available for storing an identifier of said non-home location, storing an identifier of said non-home location in one of said one or more locations of said directory, and if none of said one or more locations of said directory are available for storing an identifier of said non-home location, invalidating a non-home location in said cache that corresponds to one of said one or more locations of said directory and storing an identifier of said non-home location in said one of said one or more locations.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said cache is exclusively for storage of content in non-home locations.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein said directory records all non-home locations associated with an address in said cache.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein a predetermined number of identifiers of said non-home locations associated with an address are enabled to be recorded.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein said cache is configured to accommodate a predetermined number of non-home locations.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein said directory has a predetermined number of ways and a predetermined number of sets.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein said cache is a two way associative cache.

8 . A cache memory system, comprising:
memory components; and memory controlling components, wherein said memory controlling components include a system for tracking addresses stored in non-home locations in a cache that comprises:
a determiner for determining if an address that is to be stored in a cache is to be stored in a non-home location;
a determiner for determining if a directory has a location available for storing an identifier of said non-home location; and
a storer for storing an identifier of said non-home location in one of said one or more locations of said directory, if one or more locations of said directory are available for storing an identifier of said non-home location, and
an invalidator for invalidating a non-home location in said cache that corresponds to one of said one or more locations of said directory if none of said one or more locations of said directory are available for storing an identifier of said non-home location, and facilitating a storing of an identifier of said non-home location in said one of said one or more locations.

9 . The cache memory system of claim 8 wherein said cache is exclusively for storage of content in non-home locations.

10 . The cache memory system of claim 8 wherein said directory records all non-home locations associated with an address in said cache.

11 . The cache memory system of claim 8 wherein a predetermined number of identifiers of said non-home locations associated with an address are enabled to be recorded.

12 . The cache memory system of claim 8 wherein said cache is configured to accommodate a predetermined number of non-home locations.

13 . The cache memory system of claim 8 wherein said directory has a predetermined number of ways and a predetermined number of sets.

14 . The cache memory system of claim 8 wherein said cache is a two way associative cache.

15 . Cache memory controlling components for tracking addresses stored in non-home locations in a cache, comprising:
a determiner for determining if an address that is to be stored in a cache is to be stored in a non-home location; a determiner for determining if a directory has a location available for storing an identifier of said non-home location; a storer for storing an identifier of said non-home location in one of said one or more locations of said directory, if one or more locations of a directory are available for storing an identifier of said non-home location; and an invalidator for invalidating a non-home location in said cache that corresponds to one of said one or more locations of said directory if none of said one or more locations of said directory are available for storing an identifier of said non-home location, and facilitating a storing of an identifier of said non-home location in said one of said one or more locations.

16 . The cache memory controlling components of claim 15 wherein said cache is exclusively for storage of content in non-home locations.

17 . The cache memory controlling components of claim 15 wherein said directory records all non-home locations associated with an address in said cache.

18 . The cache memory controlling components of claim 15 wherein a predetermined number of said non-home locations associated with an address are enabled to be recorded.

19 . The cache memory controlling components of claim 15 wherein said cache is configured to accommodate a predetermined number of non-home locations.

20 . The cache memory controlling components of claim 15 wherein said directory has a predetermined number of ways and a predetermined number of sets.

Assignees

• Soft Machines Inc

Inventors

• Avudaiyappan Karthikeyan

Classifications

• G06F12/0833 Primary

  in combination with broadcast means (e.g. for invalidation or updating) · CPC title

• G06F12/0824

  Distributed directories, e.g. linked lists of caches · CPC title

• G06F2212/69

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F2212/1021

  Hit rate improvement · CPC title

• G06F12/121 Primary

  using replacement algorithms · CPC title