Tracking cache line consumption
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsMark Gray, Tomasz Kantecki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for tracking cache line consumption. An example system may comprise: a cache comprising a plurality of cache entries for storing a plurality of cache lines; a processing core, operatively coupled to the cache; and a cache control logic, to: responsive to detecting an update operation with respect to a cache line of the plurality of cache lines, set a cache line access tracking flag associated with the cache line to a first state indicating that the cache line has been produced; and responsive to detecting a read operation with respect to the cache line, set the cache line access tracking flag associated with the cache line to a second state indicating that the cache line has been consumed.
Claims20
A processing system, comprising:
- a cache comprising a plurality of cache entries for storing a plurality of cache lines;
- a processing core, operatively coupled to the cache;
- and
- a cache control logic, to:
- responsive to detecting an update operation with respect to a cache line of the plurality of cache lines, set a cache line access tracking flag associated with the cache line to a first state indicating that the cache line has been produced;
- and
- responsive to detecting a read operation with respect to the cache line, set the cache line access tracking flag associated with the cache line to a second state indicating that the cache line has been consumed.
A method, comprising:
- receiving, by a cache monitoring application, an aggregate value reflecting access states of a plurality of cache lines, wherein the access states comprise a first state indicating that a cache line of the plurality of cache lines has been produced and a second state indicating that the cache line has been consumed;
- determining, using a cache access tracking policy, an action identified by the aggregate value reflecting the access states of the plurality of cache lines;
- and
- performing the identified action.
An integrated circuit comprising a cache control logic, the cache control logic to:
- responsive to detecting an update operation with respect to a cache line of a plurality of cache lines, set a cache line access tracking flag associated with the cache line to a first state indicating that the cache line has been produced;
- and
- responsive to detecting a read operation with respect to the cache line, set the cache line access tracking flag associated with the cache line to a second state indicating that the cache line has been consumed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.