Optimizing a cache eviction mechanism by selectively introducing different levels of randomness into a replacement algorithm

摘要

A method of improving operation of a cache used by a processor of a computer system by introducing a level of randomness into a replacement algorithm used by the cache in order to lessen "strides" within the cache is disclosed. Different levels of randomness may be introduced into the replacement algorithm at different times to optimize the cache for different procedures running on the processor. The level of randomness can be selectively introduced by using a basic replacement algorithm to select a subset of a congruence class, and one or more random bits are then used to select a specific cache block within the subset for eviction. The basic replacement algorithm can be a least recently used algorithm. There may be three levels of randomness for a 4- way set associative cache, and there may be four levels of randomness for an 8-way set associative cache.