Cache Coherency

Cache coherency is the property of a multiprocessor system in which all caches present a consistent view of memory to all processors. When one processor writes to a memory location, all other processors must see that write before they see any subsequent writes, or the system has violated coherence. Maintaining coherence in unified memory systems with heterogeneous caches is one of the central unsolved problems of modern computer architecture, requiring new protocols beyond the classical MESI protocol that was designed for symmetric multiprocessors.