Patent ID: 6704841
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for facilitating speculative store operations in a multiprocessor system, comprising:maintaining a record of speculative store operations that are in process at an L2 cache in the multiprocessor system; wherein a speculative store operation is a store operation that is speculatively executed before a preceding store operation has returned; receiving a load operation at the L2 cache from an L1 cache coupled to a processor in the multiprocessor system; examining the record of speculative store operations to determine if there exists a matching speculative store operation that is directed to the same location that the load operation is directed to; if there exists a matching speculative store operation, ensuring that the load operation takes place after the matching speculative store operation completes; and upon completion of a given speculative store operation at the L2 cache. sending an acknowledgment to a source processor that initiated the given speculative store operation, and upon receiving a move signal from the source processor in response to the acknowledgement, updating the record to indicate that the given speculative store operation is no longer speculative.