Multi-processor system and method of accessing data therein

A method of accessing data in a multi-processor system, comprising:

• storing information in a local memory;
• maintaining a list of memory references to the information in the local memory;
• generating a request for data;
• determining whether the data is associated with information stored in the local memory and has a memory reference;
• forwarding the request to an external switch in response to the data not having a memory reference, the data not having a memory reference to the local memory being data stored in a remote memory;
• identifying a memory reference for the data in response to the request;
• obtaining the data from the remote memory via the external switch in response to the identified memory reference;
• representing the identified memory reference with bit tags, pointer/vector bits, state bits and ECC bits.

A processor in a multi-processor system, comprising:

• a local memory integrated in the processor and operable to provide/receive/store data;
• a memory controller integrated in the processor and operable to control access to and from the local memory;
• a memory directory integrated in the processor and operable to maintain memory references to data within the local memory, the memory directory operable to generate a data request for data not having a memory reference;
• a network interface integrated in the processor and operable to provide the data request to an external directory external to the processor, the network interface operable to provide a memory reference generated by the external directory to the memory directory;
• wherein the memory references are represented with bit tags, state bits, pointer/vector bits, and ECC bits.