摘要:
Caching where portions of data are stored in slower main memory and are transferred to faster memory between one or more processors and the main memory. The cache is such that an individual cache system must communicate to other associated cache systems, or check with such cache systems, to determine if they contain a copy of a given cached location prior to or upon modification or appropriation of data at a given cached location. The cache further includes provisions for determining when the data stored in a particular memory location may be replaced.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for eliminating, in a multi-nodes data handling system, contention for exclusivity of lines in cache memory through improved management of system buses, processor cross-invalidate stacks, and the system operations that can lead to these requested cache operations being rejected.
摘要:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for performing maintenance operations in a system using address, data, and controls which are transported through the system, allowing for parallel and serial operations to co-exist without the parallel operations being slowed down by the serial ones. It also provides for use of common shifters, engines, and protocols as well as efficient conversion of ECC to parity and parity to ECC as needed in the system. The invention also provides for error detection and isolation, both locally and in the reported status. The invention provides for large maintenance address and data spaces (typically 64 bits address and 64 bits data per address supported).
摘要:
A storage system may include storage, a main pipeline to carry data for the storage, and a store pipeline to carry data for the storage. The storage system may also include a controller to prioritize data storage requests for the storage based upon available interleaves and which pipeline is associated with the data storage requests.
摘要:
A dual system shared cache directory structure for a cache memory performs the role of an inclusive shared system cache, i.e., data, and system control, i.e., coherency. The system includes two separate system cache directories in the shared system cache. The two separate cache directories are substantially equal in size and collectively large enough to contain all of the processor cache directory entries, but with only one of these separate cache directories hosting system-cache data to back the most recent fraction of data accessed by the processors. The other cache directory retains only addresses, including addresses of lines LRUed out from the first cache directory and the identity of the processor using the data. Thus by this expedient, only the directory known to be backed by system cached data will be evaluated for system cache memory data.
摘要:
A computer system having central processors (CPs), an associated L2 cache, and processor memory arrays (PMAs), is provided with store logic and and fetch logic used to detect and correct data errors and to write the resulting data the associated cache. The store logic and and fetch logic blocks UEs from the cache for CP stores, for PMA (mainstore) fetches/loads, and for cache-to-cache loads, and with uncorrectable error recovery cache fetch and store logic injects `Special UEs` into the cache when loads cannot be blocked and abends CP jobs for UEs during CP stores, for UEs from PMA, for UEs from remote cache, and for UEs from local cache. This logic performs reconfiguring of memory when UEs are detected in memory and also blocks cache data propagation on UEs for CP fetches, for Cache-to-Cache transfer if data is unchanged, and for PMA castouts if data is unchanged, as well as forces castouts when UEs appear on changed cache data; injects `Special UEs` for UEs detected on changed cache data; invalidates the cache when UEs are detected in the local cache; and only deletes cache entries that have repeated failures.
摘要:
A hierarchical cache architecture that reduces traffic on a main memory bus while overcoming the disadvantages of prior systems. The architecture includes a plurality of level one caches that are of the store through type, each level one cache is associated with a processor and may be incorporated into the processor. Subsets (or "clusters") of processors, along with their associated level one caches, are formed and a level two cache is provided for each cluster. Each processor-level one cache pair within a cluster is coupled to the cluster's level two cache through a dedicated bus. By configuring the processors and caches in this manner, not only is the speed advantage normally associated with the use of cache memory realized, but the number of memory bus accesses is reduced without the disadvantages associated with the use of store in type caches at level one and without the disadvantages associated with the use of a shared cache bus.
摘要:
A technique for cache coherency is provided. A cache controller selects a first set from multiple sets in a congruence class based on a cache miss for a first transaction, and places a lock on the entire congruence class in which the lock prevents other transactions from accessing the congruence class. The cache controller designates in a cache directory the first set with a marked bit indicating that the first transaction is working on the first set, and the marked bit for the first set prevents the other transactions from accessing the first set within the congruence class. The cache controller removes the lock on the congruence class based on the marked bit being designated for the first set, and resets the marked bit for the first set to an unmarked bit based on the first transaction completing work on the first set in the congruence class.
摘要:
A technique for cache coherency is provided. A cache controller selects a first set from multiple sets in a congruence class based on a cache miss for a first transaction, and places a lock on the entire congruence class in which the lock prevents other transactions from accessing the congruence class. The cache controller designates in a cache directory the first set with a marked bit indicating that the first transaction is working on the first set, and the marked bit for the first set prevents the other transactions from accessing the first set within the congruence class. The cache controller removes the lock on the congruence class based on the marked bit being designated for the first set, and resets the marked bit for the first set to an unmarked bit based on the first transaction completing work on the first set in the congruence class.
摘要:
Embedded dynamic random access memory (EDRAM) macro disablement in a cache memory includes isolating an EDRAM macro of a cache memory bank, the cache memory bank being divided into at least three rows of a plurality of EDRAM macros, the EDRAM macro being associated with one of the at least three rows, iteratively testing each line of the EDRAM macro, the testing including attempting at least one write operation at each line of the EDRAM macro, determining if an error occurred during the testing, and disabling write operations for an entire row of EDRAM macros associated with the EDRAM macro based on the determining.