Method and apparatus for multithreaded cache with simplified implementation of cache replacement policy

Abstract

A cache memory for use in a multithreaded processor includes a number of set-associative thread caches, with one or more of the thread caches each implementing an eviction process based on access request address that reduces the amount of replacement policy storage required in the cache memory. At least a given one of the thread caches in an illustrative embodiment includes a memory array having multiple sets of memory locations, and a directory for storing tags each corresponding to at least a portion of a particular address of one of the memory locations. The directory has multiple entries each storing multiple ones of the tags, such that if there are n sets of memory locations in the memory array, there are n tags associated with each directory entry. The directory is utilized in implementing a set-associative address mapping between access requests and memory locations of the memory array. An entry in a particular one of the memory locations is selected for eviction from the given thread cache in conjunction with a cache miss event, based at least in part on at least a portion of an address in an access request associated with the cache miss event.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.