Multi-Level Cache Tracking Table for Direct Data Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
In processors with multi-level cache hierarchies, sequential searches for data hinder performance, especially in deep hierarchies, and frequently used data is not optimally reserved in higher levels due to inefficient eviction and retrieval strategies.
Innovation Solution
A tracking table is used to maintain location history and initiate searches from a precise level, optimizing data eviction to match usage patterns and enhancing cache coherence in shared hierarchies, allowing direct access to data without sequential searches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sequential searches are used to retrieve data from multi-level cache hierarchies, then data can be found in deep hierarchies, but processor performance deteriorates due to time-consuming searches
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking table maintains location history information about data blocks before they are evicted from the cache hierarchy. When data is needed, the system queries the tracking table to retrieve stored location information, allowing direct access to the data without performing sequential searches through the cache hierarchy levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking table acts as an intermediary data structure between the processor and the multi-level cache hierarchy. It stores location history information that mediates the data retrieval process, enabling the processor to skip intermediate cache levels and access data directly without sequential searching.
2Device complexity
If data is evicted from cache hierarchy without tracking its location history, then cache management is simpler, but frequently used data is not optimally reserved in higher levels
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking table records location history information for evicted data blocks, creating a feedback mechanism that tracks where data has been and can be used to optimize future cache management decisions. This feedback allows the system to make informed eviction and retrieval decisions based on actual data movement patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking table stores location history information in advance when data is evicted, so that when data is needed later, the system already has the information about where to find it. This preliminary action enables optimized data retrieval without requiring complex real-time analysis during eviction decisions.
3Quantity of substance
If deep cache hierarchies are implemented to store more data, then data capacity increases, but sequential searches become more time-consuming and performance degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking table stores location history information when data is evicted from deep cache levels, enabling the system to remember where data was located. When data is needed, the system can directly query the tracking table to find the data's location without performing time-consuming sequential searches through the deep hierarchy levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking table serves as an intermediary that bridges the processor and the deep cache hierarchy. It stores location information that allows the processor to skip through multiple cache levels efficiently, reducing search time even in deep hierarchies with high data capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a computing system, integrated circuit, and method to enhance retrieval of cached data. A tracking table is used to initiate a search for data from a location specified in the table, if the data is not in a first level of a multi-level cache hierarchy.