Insertion/promotion vectors to update replacement data in caches based on criticality

A method comprising:

• storing, by a computing device, a plurality of cache lines for a cache memory and a plurality of insertion and promotion vectors (IPVs) for the cache memory;
• maintaining, by the computing device using the plurality of the IPVs, replacement data for the cache memory;
• receiving, by the computing device, an access request to the cache memory;
• determining, by the computing device, a criticality level of a particular cache line corresponding to the access request;
• selecting, by the computing device based on the criticality level of the particular cache line, a selected IPV of the plurality of IPVs;
• and
• updating, by the computing device using the selected IPV, the replacement data for the access request.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions of a hardware description language stored thereon, wherein the instructions are executable by a computing system to program the computing system to generate a computer simulation model, wherein the computer simulation model represents a hardware circuit that includes:

• a cache memory configured to store a plurality of cache lines;
• a plurality of clocked storage devices configured to store a plurality of insertion and promotion vectors (IPVs);
• and
• a replacement control circuit coupled to the cache memory and to the plurality of clocked storage devices, wherein:
• the replacement control circuit is configured to maintain replacement data corresponding to the cache memory based on the plurality of IPVs, and
• the replacement control circuit is configured to select a selected IPV of the plurality of IPVs to update the replacement data for a given access request to the cache memory based on a criticality level of a particular cache line accessed by the given access request.