Cache accumulator memory with an associativity mechanism

A method of performing a block accumulation operation using a cache accumulator that comprises a plurality of block storage locations, the method comprising:

• receiving a first command in a set of commands used to implement an accumulation operation, wherein the first command is an instruction to perform an operation on a first block operand identified by a first address in a memory and to store a result of the operation, wherein the result is identified by a second address in the memory;
• in response to said receiving a first command:
• accessing an associativity list comprising an indication that a first set of block storage locations is allocated to the first accumulation operation;
• in response to the indication, providing the first block operand from the first set of block storage locations to a functional unit and storing a block result of the operation generated by the functional unit into the first set of block storage locations.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for storing data;
• means for performing a block operation on one or more block operands to generate a block result;
• and
• means for storing the block result, wherein the means for storing the block result are coupled to the means for storing data and the means for performing a block operation, wherein the means for storing the block result comprise a plurality of block storage locations, wherein the means for storing the block result receive a first instruction comprised in a set of one or more instructions to perform a first accumulation operation, wherein the first instruction uses a first address in the means for storing data to identify a first block operand;
• wherein in response to the first instruction, the means for storing the block result access an associativity list that comprises an indication that a first set of the block storage locations is allocated to the first accumulation operation, wherein in response to the indication, the means for storing the block result provide the first block operand from the first set of block storage locations to the means for performing the block operation and store the block result in the first set of block storage locations.

A data processing system comprising:

• a host computer system;
• a storage array;
• an interconnect coupled to the host computer system and the storage array and configured to transfer data between the host computer system and the storage array;
• and
• a parity calculation system configured to perform parity operations on data stored to the storage array, wherein the parity calculation system comprises a memory, a cache accumulator, and a parity calculation unit;
• wherein the cache accumulator comprises a plurality of block storage locations and is configured to receive a set of one or more instructions to perform a first accumulation operation, wherein a first instruction in the set uses a first address in the memory to identify a first block operand;
• wherein in response to receiving the first instruction in the set, the cache accumulator is configured to access an associativity list comprising an indication that a first set of the block storage locations is allocated to the first accumulation operation and, in response to the indication, to provide the first block operand to the parity calculation unit from the first set of the block storage locations and to store the block result generated by the parity calculation unit into the first set of block storage locations.