21264/EV68A Hardware Reference Manual
Cache and External Interfaces 4–41
System Port
Probesthat invalidate locked blocks do not generate a ReadBlkMod command. The

21264/EV68Afails the STx_C instruction as defined in the AlphaArchitecture

Handbook,Version 4.
All read commands (RdBlk,RdBlkMod, Fetch, InvalToDirty) do not interact

becausethe 21264/EV68A does not yet own the block.

Table 4–33 21264/ EV68A Response to System Probe and In-Flight Command Interaction
PendingInternal
21264/EV68A
Command 21264/EV68AResponse to System Probe and In-Flight Command Interaction
ReadBlk
ReadBlkMod
FetchBlk
InvalToDirty
WrVictimBlk
Thiscase assumes that a WrVictimBlk command has been sent to thes ystemand another
agenthas performed a load/store instruction to the same address. The 21264/EV68Apro-
videsVAF hit informationwith the probe response so that the system can manage the race
conditionbetween the WrVictimBlk command from this processor and a possible WrVic-
timBlkcommand from the probing processor. This race condition canbe managedby
eitherforcing the completion of the WrVictimBlkcommand to memory before allowing
theprogress by the probing processor, or by killing the WrVictimBlkcommand in this
processor.
CleanToDirty
SharedToDirty Thiscase assumes that a SetDirty command has been sent to the system environment
becauseof a store instruction that hit in the 21264/EV68A cachesand that another proces-
sor hasperformed a load/store instruction to the same address. The 21264/EV68Apro-
videsMAF hit information so that the system can correctly respond to the Set/Dirty
command. If the next state of the probe was Invalid (the other processor performed a store
instruction),and the probe reached the system serialization point before the Set/Dirty
command,the system must either fail the Set/Dirty command or providethe updated data
from theother processor.
STCChangeToDirty This case is similarto case 2, except that the initiating instruction for the Set/Dirtycom-
mandis a STx_C. An address match with an invalidating probe must fail the Set/Dirty
command.Delivering the updated data from the other processor is not an option because
ofthe requirements of the LDx_L/STx_C instruction pair.