Patent ID: 6351796
Filing Date: 2002-02-26
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A computer based method of storing data, comprising:a) maintaining a multi-level memory hierarchy comprising at least a lower level cache and a higher level cache; b) maintaining relevancy information for various data values stored in the lower level cache, wherein the relevancy information indicates whether the various data values stored in the lower level cache, if lost, could only be generated from corresponding data stored in the higher level cache; and c) if one of the various data values stored in the lower level cache is to be updated, determining whether corresponding data should be stored in the higher level cache, based at least in part on: i) the status of the relevancy information corresponding to the one of the various data values stored in the lower level cache which is to be updated; and ii) whether the updated value which is to be written into the lower level cache matches one or more select data value patterns.