CONFIGURABLE SNOOP FILTERS FOR CACHE COHERENT SYSTEMS

摘要

A cache coherent system includes a directory with more than one snoop filter, each of which stores information in a different set of snoop filter entries. Each snoop filter is associated with a subset of all caching agents within the system. Each snoop filter uses an algorithm chosen for best performance on the caching agents associated with the snoop filter. The number of snoop filter entries in each snoop filter is primarily chosen based on the caching capacity of just the caching agents associated with the snoop filter. The type of information stored in each snoop filter entry of each snoop filter is chosen to meet the desired filtering function of the specific snoop filter.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a set of snoop filters; a first caching agent, with a first variant of a characteristic, in communication with the set of snoop filters; a second caching agent, with a second variant of the characteristic, in communication with the set of snoop filters; a first snoop filter within the set of snoop filters arranged to store information in a first set of snoop filter entries; and a second snoop filter within the set of snoop filters arranged to store information in a second set of snoop filter entries, wherein the first caching agent is associated with the first snoop filter and the second caching agent is associated with the second snoop filter.