Cache hierarchy design for use in a memory management unit.

摘要

A cache hierarchy to be managed by a memory management unit (MMU) (52) combines the advantages of logical and virtual address caches by providing a cache hierarchy having a logical address cache (68) backed up by a virtual address cache (85) to achieve the performance advantage of a large logical address cache, and the flexibility and efficient use of cache capacity of a large virtual address cache. A physically small logical address cache (75) is combined with a large virtual address cache (70). The provision of a logical address cache (68) enable reference count management to be done completely by the controller of the virtual address cache (85) and the memory management processor (54) in the MMU (52). Since the controller of the logical address cache is not involved in the overhead associated with reference counting, higher performance is accomplished as the CPU(50)-MMU (52) interface is released as soon as the access to the logical address cache (68) is completed.