There are many different design parameters that are important to a cache's overall performance. The table below lists parameters for different direct-mapped cache designs.
1. Calculate the total number of bits required for the cache listed in the table, assuming a 32-bit address. Given that total size, find the total size of the closest direct-mapped cache with 16-word blocks of equal size or greater. Explain why the second cache, despite its larger data size, might provide slower performance than the first cache.
2. Generate a series of read requests that have a lower miss rate on a 2 KB 2-way set associative cache than the cache listed in the table. Identify one possible solution that would make the cache listed in the table have an equal or lower miss rate than the 2 KB cache. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution.
3. The formula shown on page 457 shows the typical method to index a direct-mapped cache, specifically (Block address) modulo (Number of blocks in the cache). Assuming a 32-bit address and 1024 blocks in the cache, consider a different indexing function, specifically (Block address[31:27] XOR Block address[26:22]). Is it possible to use this to index a direct-mapped cache? If so, explain why and discuss any changes that might need to be made to the cache. If it is not possible, explain why