Determining the effectiveness of prefetch instructions

A computer system for facilitating processing within a computing environment, said computer system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, said method comprising:
• executing a prefetch instruction to request that data be fetched into a selected location of a memory hierarchy of the computing environment;
• and
• determining effectiveness of the prefetch instruction, the determining the effectiveness comprising:
• providing, based on executing the prefetch instruction, effectiveness information relating to the data, the effectiveness information including an indicator, wherein based on the indicator having one value the data was installed in the selected location based on the prefetch instruction, and wherein based on the indicator having another value the data was installed in the selected location based on execution of another instruction different from the prefetch instruction;
• obtaining at least a portion of the effectiveness information;
• and
• using the at least a portion of the effectiveness information to determine the effectiveness of the prefetch instruction.

A computer-implemented method of facilitating processing within a computing environment, said computer-implemented method comprising:

• executing a prefetch instruction to request that data be fetched into a selected location of a memory hierarchy of the computing environment;
• and
• determining effectiveness of the prefetch instruction, the determining the effectiveness comprising:
• providing, based on executing the prefetch instruction, effectiveness information relating to the data, the effectiveness information including an indicator, wherein based on the indicator having one value the data was installed in the selected location based on the prefetch instruction, and wherein based on the indicator having another value the data was installed in the selected location based on execution of another instruction different from the prefetch instruction;
• obtaining at least a portion of the effectiveness information;
• and
• using the at least a portion of the effectiveness information to determine the effectiveness of the prefetch instruction.