Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Discuss the design issues in cache design.

Cache design involves several critical considerations to optimize performance and cost-effectiveness. The primary elements influencing cache design include:

i. Cache Size:

a. Small Size: To keep costs close to main memory.

b. Large Size: To maximize the chances of having most memory references in the cache, reducing average access time.

ii. Block Size:

a. Importance: Influences cache performance significantly.

b. Larger Block Size: Increases hit ratio as more data, including adjacent words, can be stored.

c. Small Block Size: Results in frequent replacement, increasing overhead in cache operation.

d. Hit Ratio vs. Block Size: Initially, increasing block size improves hit ratio, but it may decrease after a certain point.

iii. Associativity:

  • Tradeoff: Balancing parallel searching against constraints on which addresses can be stored.
  • Higher Associativity: Allows for more flexible storage but may increase complexity and cost.

iv. Write Strategy:

  • Concern: Determines when cache contents are written to main memory.
  • Explanation:
    • Write-Through: Immediately updates main memory with every write operation.
    • Advantage: Ensures consistency between cache and main memory.
    • Disadvantage: Slower due to frequent writes.
    • Write-Back: Delays updating main memory until the cache block is replaced.
    • Advantage: Reduces write operations, improving speed.
    • Disadvantage: Requires additional mechanisms to track changes.

Leave a Comment