System and method for performing a speculative cache fill

A computer system may include several caches that are each coupled to receive data from a shared memory. A cache coherency mechanism may be configured to receive a cache fill request, and in response, to send a probe to determine whether any of the other caches contain a copy of the requested data....

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors FOX MARK T, MUDGETT DAN S
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 10.08.2004
Edition7
Subjects
CALCULATING
COMPUTING
COUNTING
ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
PHYSICS
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Summary:A computer system may include several caches that are each coupled to receive data from a shared memory. A cache coherency mechanism may be configured to receive a cache fill request, and in response, to send a probe to determine whether any of the other caches contain a copy of the requested data. Some time after sending the probe, the cache controller may provide a speculative response to the cache fill request to the requesting device. By delaying providing the speculative response until some time after the probes are sent, it may become more likely that the responses to the probes will be received in time to validate the speculative response.
Bibliography:Application Number: US20020059934