Patent ID: 7797492

Claim:
A method, comprising: partitioning a cache array into one or more special-purpose entries and one or more general-purpose entries, wherein special-purpose entries are only allocated for one or more streams having a particular stream ID and the particular stream ID is stored outside the cache array, wherein the special-purpose entries to use a first cache replacement algorithm and the one or more general-purpose entries to use a second cache replacement algorithm, wherein the first and second cache replacement algorithms are different; storing data from the one or more streams in the one or more special-purpose entries when the particular stream ID and a particular input address match a predetermined stream ID and a predetermined input address; storing data from the one or more streams in the one or more general-purpose entries when the particular stream ID and the particular input address do not match the predetermined stream ID and the predetermined input address; determining if a cross-access scenario exists between at least one of the one or more special purpose entries and at least one of the one or more general purpose entries; and if the cross-access scenario exists, permitting cross-access of data between the at least one of the one or more special-purpose entries and the at least one of the one or more general-purpose entries that relate to the cross-access scenario.