Abstract
Invalidation-based cache coherence protocols have been extensively studied in the context of large-scale shared-memory multiprocessors. Under a relaxed memory consistency model, most of the write latency can be hidden whereas cache misses still incur a severe performance problem. By contrast, update-based protocols have a potential to reduce both write and read penalties under relaxed memory consistency models because coherence misses can be completely eliminated. The purpose of this paper is to compare update- and invalidation-based protocols for their ability to reduce or hide memory access latencies and for their ease of implementation under relaxed memory consistency models. Based on a detailed simulation study, we find that write-update protocols augmented with simple competitive mechanisms — we call such protocols competitive-update protocols — can hide all the write latency and cut the read penalty by as much as 46% at the cost of some increase in the memory traffic. However, as compared to write-invalidate, update-based protocols require more aggressive memory consistency models and more local buffering in the second-level cache to be effective. In addition, their increased number of global writes may cause increased synchronization overhead in applications with high contention for critical sections.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.