Patent ID: 8583874
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for performing caching in a processing system including at least one data cache, the method comprising the steps of: determining whether each of at least a subset of cache entries stored in the data cache comprises data that has been loaded using fetch ahead; associating an identifier with each cache entry in the subset of cache entries, the identifier indicating whether the cache entry comprises data that has been loaded using fetch ahead; implementing a cache replacement policy for controlling replacement of at least a given cache entry in the data cache with a new cache entry as a function of the identifier associated with the given cache entry; detecting whether access to a given cache entry is sequential or non-sequential; when the given cache entry is sequentially accessed, updating a state of the cache replacement policy as a function of the identifier associated with the given cache entry; and when the given cache entry is non-sequentially accessed, changing a state of the identifier associated with the given cache entry to indicate that the data in the given cache entry has not been loaded using fetch ahead.