International Business Machines Corporation
Coordination of cache memory operations

Abstract:

The invention relates to a method for coordinating an execution of an instruction sequence by a processor device of a coherent shared memory system. An instruction is executed and causes the processor device to fill a copy of a memory line to a processor cache memory. The memory line is flagged by the processor device upon detection of first flag information which indicates that propagation of memory coherence across the shared memory system in respect of the memory line is unconfirmed. The memory line is unflagged by the processor device upon detection of second flag information which indicates that the propagation of memory coherence in respect of the memory line is confirmed. Upon execution of a memory barrier instruction, a completion of execution of the memory barrier instruction is prevented while the memory line is flagged.