Closing the Window of Vulnerability in Multiphase Memory Transactions

Multiprocessor architects have begun to explore several mechanisms such as prefetching, context-switching and software-assisted dynamic cache-coherence, which transform single-phase memory transactionsin conventionalmemory systemsinto multiphase operations. Multiphase operations introduce a window of vulnerability in which data can be invalidated before it is used. Losing data due to invalidations introduces damaging livelock situations. This paper discusses the origins of the window of vulnerability and proposes an architectural framework that closes it. The framework is implemented in Alewife, a large-scale multiprocessor being built at MIT.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1992
• Where: ASPLOS
• Authors: John Kubiatowicz, David Chaiken, Anant Agarwal
• Keywords: ASPLOS 1992, Multiphase Operations, Programming Languages, Single-phase Memory Transactionsin, Systemsinto Multiphase Operations