The Synonym Lookaside Buffer: A Solution to the Synonym Problem in Virtual Caches

To support dynamic address translation in today's microprocessors, the first-level cache is accessed in parallel with a translation lookaside buffer (TLB). However, this current approach faces mounting problems as more concurrency is exploited in the processor core, as multiprocessors are becoming more and more prevalent, and as the memory demand of emerging applications is growing. This paper introduces new ideas to enable the use of virtual addresses in the cache hierarchy, thus removing the TLB from the critical path of the processor core. The major idea is the replacement of the on-chip TLB by a synonym lookaside buffer (SLB). The SLB translates synonyms into a primary virtual address, which is a unique identifier resolving all ambiguities due to synonyms in the memory system. We introduce various system configurations with SLBs and discuss all functional issues associated with them. An SLB is much more scalable than a regular TLB. It scales with memory data set sizes, physica...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: TC
• Authors: Xiaogang Qiu, Michel Dubois
• Keywords: Dynamic Address Translation, Information Technology, Physical Memory, Processor Core, TC 2008