Storing data in a system memory for a subsequent cache flush

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8990507-B2
Application number	US-201213495383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2012
Priority date	Jun 13, 2012
Publication date	Mar 24, 2015
Grant date	Mar 24, 2015

Abstract

Embodiments relate to storing data to a system memory. An aspect includes accessing successive entries of a cache directory having a plurality of directory entries by a stepper engine, where access to the cache directory is given a lower priority than other cache operations. It is determined that a specific directory entry in the cache directory has a change line state that indicates it is modified. A store operation is performed to send a copy of the specific corresponding cache entry to the system memory as part of a cache management function. The specific directory entry is updated to indicate that the change line state is unmodified.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system for storing data to a system memory, the system comprising:
the system memory;
a cache comprising a cache directory having a plurality of directory entries; and
a stepper engine, the stepper engine configured to perform a method comprising:
initializing an internal congruence class register;
accessing a plurality of directory entries of the cache directory in a current congruence class of the cache directory that corresponds to the i…

Assignees

• Blake Michael A
• Mak Pak-Kin
• Bronson Timothy C
• Huynh Hieu T
• Klapproth Kenneth D
• Papazova Vesselina K
• IBM

Inventors

• Blake Michael A
• Mak Pak-Kin
• Bronson Timothy C
• Huynh Hieu T
• Klapproth Kenneth D
• Papazova Vesselina K

Classifications

• G06F12/128

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F12/0895 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F12/0817

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F12/0891 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F12/0804 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic