Cache Memory

Lecture 3.3:  Small, fast memory

Memory (continued) 


Most heavily used memory words stored in cache
When CPU needs a word, cache is looked up first,
then the memory
 If a word is read or written k times in a short
interval, the computer will need 1 reference to slow
memory and k – 1 references to fast memory
 Hit ratio (h) – fraction of all references that can be
satisfied out of cache (opposite is Miss ratio)
 h = (k-1)/k
 Miss Ratio is 1 - h
CS211
Reference: Structured Computer Organization, Chapter 2

Cache Memory Memory Packaging and Types

 A group of chips mounted on a tiny printed circuit
board and sold as a unit
 SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module) or DIMM (Dual
Inline Memory Module)

Secondary Memory Secondary Memory

 Need for more memory besides main (primary) memory  Magnetic Disks
 A five-level memory hierarchy  3 important factors: seek time, rotational latency,
 3 factors differ at each level: access time, storage transfer time
capacity, number of bits per dollar

1
 Secondary Memory Secondary Memory
 Floppy Disks
 IDE Disks (Integrated Drive Electronics)
 SCSI Disks (Small Computer System Interface)

•Disks consists of multiple platters stacked vertically.

•Each surface has its own arm and head.
•All the arms are ganged together so they move to different radial positions all at
once.
•The set of tracks at a given radial position is called a cylinder
•To read/write a sector, arm must be moved to the right radial positions. This is called
seek time
•Once the head is positioned radially, there is a delay, called the rotational latency,
until the desired sector rotates under the head.

Secondary Memory Secondary Memory

 RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) – Levels  RAID Levels 3-5
0-2 show below; backup and parity drives are shaded
•Single parity bit is computed for each data
• sectors grouped into strips; strip by strip storage word and written to parity drive
•Large requests are faster due to parallelism •Error correction/detection
•Data loss due to drive failures

•4 primary memory, 4 backup

disks •Strip by strip with parity drive
•On a write every strip is written
twice
•One parity drive may cause bottleneck
•On read either copy can be used
•Backup storage takes time

•Word by word/byte by byte/ bit

by bit storage •Solves the bottleneck problem by
•Hamming calculation allows distributing the parity bits uniformly over
error detection/correction all the drives
•Drive synchronization

Secondary Memory
 CD-ROMs
 CD-Recordables
 CD-Rewritables
 DVD
 Blue-Ray