Directory-based coherence caching

摘要

Techniques are generally described for methods, systems, data processing devices and computer readable media related to multi-core parallel processing directory-based cache coherence. Example systems may include one multi-core processor or multiple multi-core processors. An example multi-core processor includes a plurality of processor cores, each of the processor cores having a respective cache. The system may further include a main memory coupled to each multi-core processor. A directory descriptor cache may be associated with the plurality of the processor cores, where the directory descriptor cache may be configured to store a plurality of directory descriptors. Each of the directory descriptors may provide an indication of the cache sharing status of a respective cache-line-sized row of the main memory.

主权项

1. A method for directory-based cache coherence in a multi-core processor system that includes a main memory, a plurality of processor cores, and a plurality of caches each associated with a respective one of the plurality of processor cores, the method comprising:
providing a directory descriptor cache in the multi-core processor system, wherein the directory descriptor cache is separate from the plurality of caches, the directory descriptor cache being associated with a subset of the plurality of processor cores; storing a directory descriptor in the directory descriptor cache, the directory descriptor including information identifying each of the plurality of caches associated with the respective ones of the subset of the plurality of processor cores that includes data stored at a respective set of memory locations of the main memory; updating the directory descriptor stored in the directory descriptor cache in response to a processor core of the subset of the plurality of processor cores accessing at least one location of the respective set of memory locations of the main memory; and maintaining a directory descriptor metadescriptor in the main memory, the directory descriptor metadescriptor containing a copy of the directory descriptor stored in the directory descriptor cache.