Patent ID: 7797495

Claim:
A system comprising a plurality of nodes, the system comprising: a source node configured to convey a request for a cache line; and a home node coupled to receive the request; wherein prior to conveying the request, the source node is configured to: access a super line directory comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each entry stores a single address that identifies a super line which comprises a plurality of cache lines, each of the cache lines having a coherency state that does not allow modification by any node without first communicating with the source node; determine by said access whether the requested cache line corresponds to a super line with an entry in the super line directory; and indicate that the request is a non-probing request in response to determining that the requested cache line corresponds to a super line with an entry in the super line directory, a non-probing request comprising a given request which inhibits a home node receiving the given request from conveying probes in response to the given request.