Merged Cache Line Access Reducing Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
In data processing systems, accessing data spanning multiple cache lines incurs significant latency due to the need for separate access requests for each cache line, which can be detrimental to performance, especially in systems where large blocks of data are repeatedly accessed.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a mechanism that allows multiple cache lines to be treated as a single, merged cache line, enabling access to multiple blocks of data with a single access request by setting a merge indication state in response to a merging trigger event, thereby reducing the number of separate cache accesses required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If multiple cache lines are accessed independently using separate access requests, then each cache line can be accessed with simple control logic, but the latency increases significantly when accessing data spanning multiple cache lines
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cache lines are merged into a single logical cache line structure. When a merge indication state is set, the cache access control circuitry treats multiple physical cache lines as one unified cache line, allowing data spanning multiple cache lines to be accessed with a single access request rather than multiple separate requests, thereby reducing access latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cache line merging capability is dynamically controlled through a merge indication state that can be set or cleared based on workload requirements. The cache configuration control circuitry enables or disables the merging of cache lines according to the specific access patterns and performance needs, providing flexible adaptation without permanent structural changes.
2Productivity
If cache lines are merged to store multiple blocks of data, then access efficiency improves for large data blocks, but the cache configuration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cache configuration control circuitry pre-establishes the merge indication state before data access operations begin. By configuring which cache lines should be merged in advance based on anticipated workload patterns, the system prepares the cache structure to efficiently handle large data blocks without adding complexity during the actual data access operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cache access control circuitry automatically detects the merge indication state and adjusts its behavior accordingly without requiring external intervention. When the merge indication state is set, the access control logic automatically treats multiple cache lines as a unified structure, enabling self-configuring behavior that simplifies the overall system architecture.
3Ease of operation
If multiple cache lines are treated as a merged cache line, then the number of access requests is reduced, but the address indication management becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The merge indication state is extracted as a separate, distinct control mechanism from the address indication entries. This separation allows the address indication management to remain relatively simple while the merge state independently controls whether multiple cache lines are treated as unified, avoiding the need to complicate the address indication structure itself.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, method and code for fabrication of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising a cache providing a plurality of cache lines, each cache line storing a block of data; cache access control circuitry, responsive to an access request, to determine whether a hit condition is present in the cache; and cache configuration control circuitry to set, in response to a merging trigger event, merge indication state identifying multiple cache lines to be treated as a merged cache line to store multiple blocks of data, wherein when the merge indication state indicates that the given cache line is part of the merged cache line, the cache access control circuitry is responsive to detecting the hit condition to allow access to any of the data blocks stored in the multiple cache lines forming the merged cache line.