Analysis and Comparison of Cache Coherence Protocols for a Packet-Switched Multiprocessor

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

1-1-1989

Abstract

The use of private caches in a multiprocessor system causes inconsistency of the shared data among the caches and among caches and the main memory. A large number of protocols have been proposed to solve this coherence problem. In this paper, we develop analytical models for seven existing cache protocols, namely: Write-Once, Write-Through, Synapse, Berkeley, Illinois, Firefly, and Dragon. The protocols are implemented on a multiprocessor with a packet-switched shared bus. The models are based on queueing networks that consist of both open and closed classes of customers. The models incorporate the requests for invalidation signals, write-through, and write-back operations and the solution is based on the mean value analysis (MVA) algorithm. Performance comparison among these protocols under various system parameters is carried out based on our models. © 1989 IEEE

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

IEEE Transactions on Computers

Volume

38

Issue

8

Share

COinS