Patent ID: 7062631

Claim:
A computer implemented method for enforcing a consistent cacheability attribute for a page of physical memory, comprising: storing a current cacheability characteristic attributed to a physical address of said page of physical memory; accessing an identifier of said page of physical memory and an associated desired cacheability state corresponding to said physical memory page from a candidate entry to a translation lookaside buffer; comparing said current cacheability characteristic and said desired cacheability state; upon a match, entering said candidate entry to said translation lookaside buffer; and upon a mismatch, generating an exception to enforce said consistent cacheability characteristic wherein said current cacheability characteristic is conformed to said desired cacheability state with: determining a cacheability transition to conform said current cacheability characteristic to said desired cacheability state; determining a conservatism character of a mode of execution: upon determining that said conservatism character is aggressive: rolling back to the last commit point in said execution: changing said conservatism character to conservative, wherein said changing comprises disallowing speculation; and repeating said execution without speculation until said exception is reached: upon determining that said cacheability transition comprises a cacheable to non-cacheable transition, performing said cacheable to non-cacheable transition; and upon determining that said cacheability transition comprises a non-cacheable to cacheable transition, performing said non-cacheable to cacheable transition.