Method and system for communicating tags of data access target and castout victim in a single data transfer

A method of combining data access and cast out operations, comprising:

• forming a combined address including:
• a first address tag for a first storage element requested by a data access operation;
• and
• a second address tag for a second storage element, different than the first storage element, in which data requested by the data access operation will be stored;
• and transmitting the combined address in a single bus transfer.

A system for transmitting an address, comprising:

• a cache receiving a data access operation which misses and selecting a victim;
• and
• a bus coupling the cache to at least one other cache,
• wherein the cache transmits a target tag for a target of the data access operation and a victim tag for the victim in a single transfer on the bus.

A system for combining data access and cast out operations, comprising:

• a storage device forming a combined address including:
• a first address tag for a first storage element requested by a data access operation;
• and
• a second address tag for a second storage element, different than the first storage element, in which data requested by the data access operation will be stored;
• and a bus coupled to the storage device,
• wherein the storage device transmits the combined address in a single transfer on the bus.