Method, system, and program for managing requests to a cache using flags to queue and dequeue data in a buffer

Abstract

Provided is a system, method, and program for managing read and write requests to a cache to process enqueue and dequeue operations for a queue. Upon receiving a data access request to a data block in a memory, a determination is made as to whether any data block is maintained in a cache line entry in the cache. If so, a cache line entry maintaining the data block is accessed to perform the data access request. A first flag, such as a read flag, associated with the accessed cache line entry is set “on” if the data access request is a read request. Further, if the data access request is a write request to update the data block in the memory, a second flag, such as a write flag, associated with the cache line entry including the data to update may be set “on”. The update data may be data to be enqueued onto a queue, where the queue may be, but is not limited to, a circular buffer in the memory having a head and tail pointer. Still further, a cache line having each first flag set “on” and each second flag set “on” may be selected if there is no cache line having each first flag set “on” and each second flag set “off”, and entries in the selected cache line having their second flag set “on” may be flushed.