Efficient simulation methods for multi-level cache memory hierarchies

Abstract

The complexity of multi-level cache hierarchies simulation is much more complicated than that of single-level cache simulation, so that it is highly desirable to develop some efficient simulation methods for multi-level cache hierarchies performance analysis. A one pass multi-level unified cache hierarchies simulation method is developed based on stack model and inclusion properties. Recently, many processors utilized split instruction and data caches in the first cache level. A one pass multi-level hybrid cache simulation method is proposed for more generalized hierarchies. These two one pass simulation methods have been implemented. The simulation results show the effectiveness of these two one pass simulation methods. >