Introduction

High-performance processors require a large bandwidth to the memory system. Caches are small high-speed memories placed between the processor and main memory that increase the effective memory bandwidth. They store frequently used instructions and data in high-speed RAMs, providing fast access to a subset of the memory. Cache memories are effective because they exploit the locality property of programs [23]. The property of locahty is a program’s preference for a small subset of its address space over a given period of time.