Contents management in first-level multibanked data caches

Abstract

High-performance processors will increasingly rely on multibanked first-level caches to meet frequency requirements. In this paper we introduce replication degree and data distribution as the main multibanking design axes. We sample this design space by selecting current data distribution policy proposals, measuring them on a detailed model of a deep pipelined processor and evaluating the trade-off introduced when the replication degree is taken into account. We find that the best design points use data address interleaving policies and several degrees of bank replication. © Springer-Verlag 2004.