Patent ID: 6311253
Filing Date: 2001-10-30
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for storing information in a computer memory system, comprising the steps of:maintaining an M.sup.th level storage system including an M.sup.th level data store for storing data, an M.sup.th level full directory for storing a set of tags corresponding to the data stored in the data store, an M.sup.th level partial directory store for storing a subset of the tags stored in the full directory, wherein the partial directory store is accessible faster than the full directory;upon an M-1 level storage system miss corresponding to a request for data, determining whether a congruence class corresponding to the request is present in the partial directory store;fetching the congruence class from the partial directory store when the congruence class is present therein, and from the full directory when the congruence class is not present in the partial directory store; andretrieving the requested data from the data store when the requested data is present in the congruence class, and from a next level of the memory system when the requested data is not present in the congruence class.