Load-through fault mechanism

A method, in a data processing system, for accessing data in a hybrid hardware managed cache, the method comprising:

• responsive to receiving a request to perform an operation at an effective address, determining whether a real address associated with the effective address resides in a page table;
• responsive to the real address existing in the page table, determining whether the real address refers to a flash page or a normal page;
• responsive to the real address referring to a flash page, determining whether the flash page resides in a portion of system memory dedicated as the hybrid hardware managed cache;
• responsive to the flash page failing to reside in the hybrid hardware managed cache:
• issuing a load-through fault thereby allowing a faulting processor executing the request to execute other work while the flash page is brought into the hybrid hardware managed cache;
• assigning a new hybrid hardware managed cache real address in the hybrid hardware managed cache;
• and
• moving the flash page from a flash memory to the hybrid hardware managed cache;
• and
• issuing the operation to the new hybrid hardware managed cache real address.