Patent ID: 6029204
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method of synchronizing an initiating processing unit in a multi-processor computer system with other processing units in the system, comprising the steps of:assigning unique tags to the initiating processing unit and the other processing units;storing snoop operations associated with instructions issued by the initiating processing unit and the other processing units in snoop queues located in the other processing units, a given snoop operation having the unique tag associated with a particular one of the processing units that issued a corresponding instruction;issuing a synchronization message from the initiating processing unit to the other processing units, the synchronization message including the unique tag of the initiating processing unit;in response to said issuing steps examining the respective snoop queues of the other processing units to determine whether any snoop operation in those queues has a tag which is the unique tag of the initiating processing unit; andin response to a determination from said examining step that a snoop queue in a particular processing unit has a snoop operation with the unique tag of the initiating processing unit sending a retry message to the initiating processing unit from the particular processing unit.