International Business Machines Corporation

Vesselina K Papazova

Pak-kin Mak

Michael Andrew Blake

Patrick James Meaney

Timothy Carl Bronson

Glenn David Gilda

Craig Raymond Walters

Robert J Sonnelitter, Iii

Garrett M Drapala

Kenneth Douglas Klapproth

John Steven Dodson

Arthur J O'Neill

Mark R Hodges

Luis Alfonso Lastras-Montano

Kevin Charles Gower

Eric Eugene Retter

Ekaterina M Ambroladze

Eldee Stephens

Matthias Klein

Hieu Trong Huynh

Jason D Kohl

Hanno Ulrich

Gary A Van Huben

Scot H Rider

Lawrence D Curley

Irving G Baysah

Guy G Tracy

James Charles Gregerson

Ashraf ElSharif

Tim Bronson

Craig R Waters

Arun Kwangil Iyengar

Gregory William Alexander

Christine Comins Jones

Tu-An T Nguyen

Rebecca Marie Gott

Deanna P D Berger

Chad G Wilson

Chakrapani Rayadurgam

Harmony Lynn Helterhoff

Sebastian Burckhardt

Deanna Postles Dunn

Lahiruka Winter

Kevin Lopes

Arthur o'Neill

Lisa C Gower

Robert J Sonnelltier, Iii

Robert Sonnelitter Iii

Embodiments herein described a coherency protocol for a distributed computing topology that permits for large stalls on various interfaces. In one embodiment, the computing topology includes multiple boards which each contain multiple processors. When a particular core on a processor wants access to data that is not currently stored in its cache, the core can first initiate a request to search for the cache line in the caches for other cores on the same processor. If the cache line is not found, the cache coherency protocol permits the processor to then broadcast a request to the other processors on the same board. If a processor on the same board does not have the data, the processor can then broadcast the request to the other boards in the system. The processors in those boards can then search their caches to identify the data.

System coherency protocol

Embodiments are for preemptive tracking of remote requests for decentralized hot cache line fairness tracking. Authority is requested for a cache line in conjunction with querying for outstanding requests for the cache line. One or more responses are received regarding the outstanding requests for the cache line. In response to receiving the one or more responses regarding the outstanding requests and in advance of receiving the authority for the cache line, the outstanding requests are preemptively tracked in a requested structure associated with the cache line.

Preemptive tracking of remote requests for decentralized hot cache line fairness tracking

A computer system includes a cache and processor. The cache includes a plurality of data compartments configured to store data. The data compartments are arranged as a plurality of data rows and a plurality of data columns. Each data row is defined by an addressable index. The processor is in signal communication with the cache, and is configured to operate in a full cache purge mode and a selective cache purge mode. In response to invoking one or both of the full cache purge mode and the selective cache purge mode, the processor performs a pipe pass on a selected addressable index to determine a number of valid compartments and a number of invalid compartments, and performs an eviction operation on the valid compartments while skipping the eviction operation on the invalid compartments.

Efficient eviction of whole set associated cache or selected range of addresses

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a computer-implemented method for cache eviction. The method includes detecting a first data in a shared cache and a first cache in response to a request by a first processor. The first data is determined to have a mid-level cache eviction priority. A request is detected from a second processor for a same first data as requested by the first processor. However, in this instance, the second processor has indicated that the same first data has a low-level cache eviction priority. The first data is duplicated and loaded to a second cache, however, the data has a low-level cache eviction priority at the second cache.

Multilevel cache eviction management

Provided are systems, methods, and media for simultaneous, non-atomic request processing of snooped operations of a broadcast scope within a SMP system. An example method includes detecting, by a first controller, based on a set of coherency resolution conditions, whether there are coherency resolution problems between two snooped operations. The method includes in response to detecting, by the first controller, that coherency resolution problems will not result, transmitting, from the first controller to a second controller, an indication signal indicating that coherency resolution problems will not result from the operation. The set of coherency resolution conditions includes: (a) detecting that a second operation of the two snooped operations operation is of a predetermined type, (b) detecting at time of snooping of the second operation that a directory state does not allow for exclusive data, and (c) detecting that the first controller has started committing to an update.

Simultaneous, non-atomic request processing within an SMP environment broadcast scope for multiply-requested data elements using real-time parallelization

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to managing a shared high-level cache for dual clusters of fully connected integrated circuit multiprocessors. An example of a computer-implemented method includes: providing a drawer comprising a plurality of clusters, each of the plurality of clusters comprising a plurality of processors; providing a shared cache integrated circuit to manage a shared cache memory among the plurality of clusters; receiving, by the shared cache integrated circuit, an operation of one of a plurality of operation types from one of the plurality of processors; and processing, by the shared cache integrated circuit, the operation based at least in part on the operation type of the operation according to a set of rules for processing the operation type.

Dual clusters of fully connected integrated circuit multiprocessors with shared high-level cache

A cache coherency management facility to reduce latency in granting exclusive access to a cache in certain situations. A node requests exclusive access to a cache line of the cache. The node is in one region of nodes of a plurality of regions of nodes. The one region of nodes includes the node requesting exclusive access and another node of the computing environment, in which the node and the another node are local to one another as defined by a predetermined criteria. The node requesting exclusive access checks a locality cache coherency state of the another node, the locality cache coherency state being specific to the another node and indicating whether the another node has access to the cache line. Based on the checking indicating that the another node has access to the cache line, a determination is made that the node requesting exclusive access is to be granted exclusive access to the cache line. The determining being independent of transmission of information relating to the cache line from one or more other nodes of the one or more other regions of nodes.

Granting exclusive cache access using locality cache coherency state

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to hot cache line arbitration. An example of a computer-implemented method for hot cache line arbitration includes receiving a request for exclusive access to a cache line from a requestor of a drawer in a processing system. The method further includes bringing the cache line to a local cache of the drawer. The method further includes invalidating copies of the cache line in the processing system. The method further includes loading a remote fetch address register (RFAR) controller on other drawers in the processing system, wherein the RFAR comprises a local pending flag and a remote pending flag.

Hot cache line fairness arbitration in distributed modular SMP system

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a computer-implemented method for ownership tracking updates across multiple simultaneous operations. A non-limiting example of the computer-implemented method includes receiving, by a cache directory control circuit, a message to update a cache directory entry. The method further includes, in response, updating, by the cache directory control circuit, the cache directory entry, and generating a reverse compare signal including an updated ownership vector of a memory line corresponding to the cache directory entry. The method further includes sending the reverse compare signal to a cache controller associated with the cache directory entry.

Ownership tracking updates across multiple simultaneous operations

Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products method for maintaining ordered memory access with parallel access data streams associated with a distributed shared memory system. The computer-implemented method includes performing, by a first cache, a key check, the key check being associated with a first ordered data store. A first memory node signals that the first memory node is ready to begin pipelining of a second ordered data store into the first memory node to an input/output (I/O) controller. A second cache returns a key response to the first cache indicating that the pipelining of the second ordered data store can proceed. The first memory node sends a ready signal indicating that the first memory node is ready to continue pipelining of the second ordered data store into the first memory node to the I/O controller, wherein the ready signal is triggered by receipt of the key response.

Achieving high bandwidth on ordered direct memory access write stream into a processor cache

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to hot cache line arbitration. An example of a computer-implemented method for hot cache line arbitration includes detecting, by a processing device, a hot cache line scenario. The computer-implemented method further includes tracking, by the processing device, hot cache line requests from requesters to determine subsequent satisfaction of the requests. The computer-implemented method further includes facilitating, by the processing device, servicing of the requests according to hierarchy of the requestors.

Hot cache line arbitration

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Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Vesselina K Papazova