Patent ID: 6185657
Filing Date: 2001-02-06
Classification: G06F,Y02D

Abstract:
A method for operating a data processing system having a multi-way cache, the method comprising:initiating an access operation;accessing the multi-way cache in response to the access operation, wherein accessing comprises:providing a provided access attribute to the multi-way cache as part of the access operation;comparing the provided access attribute with a first stored access attribute that corresponds to a first way of the multi-way cache;comparing the provided access attribute with a second stored access attribute that corresponds to a second way of the multi-way cache;selectively enabling the first way of the multi-way cache based on whether the provided access attribute matches the first stored access attribute; andselectively enabling the second way of the multi-way cache based on whether the provided access attribute matches the second stored access attribute, and wherein selectively enabling the first way and selectively enabling the second way is performed prior to determining if one of a cache miss and a cache hit has occurred during the access operation.