What is the primary purpose of cache memory in a computer system?
a) To speed up data access by storing frequently used data closer to the CPU
b) To increase the size of the main memory
c) To manage disk storage
d) To handle network communication
Answer: a) To speed up data access by storing frequently used data closer to the CPU
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of cache memory?
a) It is faster than main memory
b) It is larger than main memory
c) It stores a subset of the data from main memory
d) It is located close to the CPU
Answer: b) It is larger than main memory
What are the typical levels of cache memory in a computer system?
a) L1, L2, and L3
b) L1 and L4
c) L2 and L5
d) L0 and L3
Answer: a) L1, L2, and L3
Which cache level is closest to the CPU core?
a) L1 Cache
b) L2 Cache
c) L3 Cache
d) Main Memory
Answer: a) L1 Cache
What is the main function of L2 cache?
a) To act as a secondary cache to support the L1 cache by storing additional data
b) To replace the L1 cache
c) To manage disk storage
d) To handle network communications
Answer: a) To act as a secondary cache to support the L1 cache by storing additional data
What does L3 cache typically serve in a multi-core processor system?
a) It acts as a shared cache among multiple CPU cores
b) It replaces the L1 and L2 caches
c) It manages external memory
d) It handles I/O operations
Answer: a) It acts as a shared cache among multiple CPU cores
How does cache memory improve system performance?
a) By reducing the average time to access data from main memory
b) By increasing the size of the main memory
c) By managing disk storage more efficiently
d) By handling network traffic
Answer: a) By reducing the average time to access data from main memory
What is a “cache hit”?
a) When the data requested by the CPU is found in the cache memory
b) When the data requested is not found in the cache
c) When the cache memory is full
d) When the data is written to the main memory
Answer: a) When the data requested by the CPU is found in the cache memory
What is a “cache miss”?
a) When the data requested is not found in the cache, requiring a fetch from main memory
b) When the data requested is found in the cache
c) When the cache memory is full
d) When the cache is being refreshed
Answer: a) When the data requested is not found in the cache, requiring a fetch from main memory
Which of the following strategies is used to manage cache misses?
a) Cache replacement policies such as LRU (Least Recently Used)
b) Expanding the size of the cache
c) Increasing the size of the main memory
d) Optimizing disk storage
Answer: a) Cache replacement policies such as LRU (Least Recently Used)
What does the “cache line” refer to?
a) The smallest unit of data transferred between the cache and main memory
b) The size of the entire cache
c) The address of the cache
d) The speed of the cache
Answer: a) The smallest unit of data transferred between the cache and main memory
What is the purpose of “cache coherence” in a multi-core system?
a) To ensure that all cores have a consistent view of data in the cache
b) To manage disk storage
c) To increase the size of the L1 cache
d) To handle network communications
Answer: a) To ensure that all cores have a consistent view of data in the cache
Which cache replacement policy removes the least recently used data first?
a) Least Recently Used (LRU)
b) First In, First Out (FIFO)
c) Random Replacement
d) Most Recently Used (MRU)
Answer: a) Least Recently Used (LRU)
What is the function of a “write-through” cache policy?
a) Data is written to both the cache and main memory simultaneously
b) Data is only written to the cache and not to main memory
c) Data is written to the disk first
d) Data is read from the cache and not written
Answer: a) Data is written to both the cache and main memory simultaneously
What is the purpose of a “write-back” cache policy?
a) Data is written to the cache and only written to main memory when the cache line is evicted
b) Data is written to both the cache and main memory simultaneously
c) Data is written to the disk first
d) Data is read from the cache and not written
Answer: a) Data is written to the cache and only written to main memory when the cache line is evicted
How does the “cache associativity” affect cache performance?
a) Higher associativity reduces the likelihood of cache misses by allowing more flexible data placement
b) Lower associativity improves cache speed
c) Associativity has no impact on performance
d) Higher associativity increases the size of the cache
Answer: a) Higher associativity reduces the likelihood of cache misses by allowing more flexible data placement
What is the common size range of cache lines?
a) 32 to 64 bytes
b) 128 to 256 bytes
c) 1 to 2 kilobytes
d) 4 to 8 bytes
Answer: a) 32 to 64 bytes
Which type of cache is typically the fastest?
a) L1 Cache
b) L2 Cache
c) L3 Cache
d) Main Memory
Answer: a) L1 Cache
What is the primary benefit of increasing the cache size?
a) It can reduce the frequency of cache misses by storing more data
b) It decreases cache speed
c) It increases the size of the main memory
d) It simplifies cache coherence
Answer: a) It can reduce the frequency of cache misses by storing more data
Which of the following cache types is usually the largest?
a) L3 Cache
b) L1 Cache
c) L2 Cache
d) Main Memory
Answer: a) L3 Cache
What is “cache thrashing”?
a) A situation where frequent cache line replacements occur, leading to performance degradation
b) A situation where the cache size is too large
c) A situation where cache lines are never replaced
d) A situation where cache memory is expanded
Answer: a) A situation where frequent cache line replacements occur, leading to performance degradation
How does the “cache hit ratio” affect system performance?
a) A higher cache hit ratio improves performance by reducing the need to access main memory
b) A lower cache hit ratio improves performance
c) The cache hit ratio has no impact on performance
d) The cache hit ratio is unrelated to performance
Answer: a) A higher cache hit ratio improves performance by reducing the need to access main memory
What does the “cache miss penalty” refer to?
a) The additional time required to fetch data from main memory when a cache miss occurs
b) The time saved by a cache hit
c) The cost of increasing the cache size
d) The time required to perform a cache flush
Answer: a) The additional time required to fetch data from main memory when a cache miss occurs
What is a “direct-mapped cache”?
a) A cache where each block of main memory maps to exactly one cache line
b) A cache where each block of main memory can map to multiple cache lines
c) A cache that is fully associative
d) A cache that handles I/O operations
Answer: a) A cache where each block of main memory maps to exactly one cache line
How does “set-associative mapping” differ from “direct-mapped cache”?
a) Set-associative mapping allows each block to map to any cache line within a set, providing more flexibility
b) Direct-mapped cache allows multiple blocks to map to a single cache line
c) Set-associative mapping is slower than direct-mapped cache
d) Direct-mapped cache is fully associative
Answer: a) Set-associative mapping allows each block to map to any cache line within a set, providing more flexibility
What is the main advantage of using a “fully associative cache”?
a) It allows any block of main memory to be stored in any cache line, reducing conflicts
b) It has fewer cache lines
c) It is slower than set-associative cache
d) It is easier to manage
Answer: a) It allows any block of main memory to be stored in any cache line, reducing conflicts
What is a “cache coherence protocol”?
a) A set of rules to maintain consistency of cache data in a multi-core system
b) A method for increasing cache size
c) A technique for reducing cache misses
d) A policy for managing disk storage
Answer: a) A set of rules to maintain consistency of cache data in a multi-core system
Which of the following is a common cache coherence protocol?
a) MESI (Modified, Exclusive, Shared, Invalid)
b) FIFO (First In, First Out)
c) LRU (Least Recently Used)
d) MRU (Most Recently Used)
Answer: a) MESI (Modified, Exclusive, Shared, Invalid)
What does “cache replacement policy” determine?
a) Which cache lines to evict when new data needs to be loaded into the cache
b) How to increase the cache size
c) How to manage main memory
d) How to handle network communication
Answer: a) Which cache lines to evict when new data needs to be loaded into the cache
How does “cache pollution” occur?
a) When irrelevant data is loaded into the cache, displacing useful data
b) When the cache is too small
c) When the cache is too large
d) When cache lines are never replaced
Answer: a) When irrelevant data is loaded into the cache, displacing useful data
What is the main role of the “cache controller”?
a) To manage cache operations, including data access and cache coherence
b) To manage disk storage
c) To handle network communication
d) To manage main memory
Answer: a) To manage cache operations, including data access and cache coherence
What is “cache burstiness”?
a) A pattern where cache access requests come in bursts, affecting cache performance
b) A method for increasing cache size
c) A technique for reducing cache misses
d) A protocol for managing cache coherence
Answer: a) A pattern where cache access requests come in bursts, affecting cache performance
How does “cache aliasing” affect cache performance?
a) It occurs when different memory addresses map to the same cache location, leading to conflicts
b) It improves cache performance by increasing hit rates
c) It is unrelated to cache performance
d) It decreases the size of the cache
Answer: a) It occurs when different memory addresses map to the same cache location, leading to conflicts
What is the primary benefit of a “write-allocate” cache policy?
a) It allows data to be loaded into the cache on a write miss, potentially reducing future misses
b) It avoids loading data into the cache on a write miss
c) It reduces the size of the cache
d) It simplifies cache coherence
Answer: a) It allows data to be loaded into the cache on a write miss, potentially reducing future misses
What does the “cache memory bandwidth” refer to?
a) The rate at which data can be read from or written to the cache
b) The size of the cache
c) The speed of the CPU
d) The amount of main memory
Answer: a) The rate at which data can be read from or written to the cache
Which of the following can increase the efficiency of cache memory?
a) Using a higher associativity in cache design
b) Increasing the size of the main memory
c) Decreasing the speed of the CPU
d) Using a smaller cache size
Answer: a) Using a higher associativity in cache design
What is “cache alignment”?
a) The process of ensuring that data is aligned in cache to optimize access speed
b) The process of increasing the cache size
c) The process of managing disk storage
d) The process of handling network communication
Answer: a) The process of ensuring that data is aligned in cache to optimize access speed
How does “cache write-back” differ from “write-through”?
a) Write-back writes data to the main memory only when the cache line is evicted, while write-through writes data immediately to both cache and main memory
b) Write-back writes data immediately to both cache and main memory, while write-through writes only to the cache
c) Write-back is faster than write-through
d) Write-back is used for managing disk storage
Answer: a) Write-back writes data to the main memory only when the cache line is evicted, while write-through writes data immediately to both cache and main memory
What is “cache associativity”?
a) The degree to which a cache can place data in different locations in the cache
b) The size of the cache
c) The speed of the cache
d) The process of managing disk storage
Answer: a) The degree to which a cache can place data in different locations in the cache
Which cache level typically has the largest capacity?
a) L3 Cache
b) L2 Cache
c) L1 Cache
d) Main Memory
Answer: a) L3 Cache
What does “cache warming” refer to?
a) The process of preloading data into the cache to improve performance
b) The process of cooling down the cache
c) The process of expanding the cache size
d) The process of handling network communication
Answer: a) The process of preloading data into the cache to improve performance
How does “cache prefetching” improve performance?
a) By loading data into the cache before it is requested, reducing the likelihood of cache misses
b) By increasing the cache size
c) By reducing the cache hit ratio
d) By managing disk storage
Answer: a) By loading data into the cache before it is requested, reducing the likelihood of cache misses
What is the function of the “cache memory address bus”?
a) To carry addresses between the CPU and cache memory
b) To increase the size of the cache
c) To manage disk storage
d) To handle network communication
Answer: a) To carry addresses between the CPU and cache memory
Which of the following is true about “cache memory hierarchy”?
a) It organizes caches in multiple levels (L1, L2, L3) to balance speed and size
b) It uses a single level of cache to manage all memory access
c) It only involves the L1 cache
d) It simplifies disk storage management
Answer: a) It organizes caches in multiple levels (L1, L2, L3) to balance speed and size
What does “cache block size” affect?
a) The amount of data that can be transferred between cache and main memory in one operation
b) The overall size of the cache
c) The speed of the CPU
d) The capacity of main memory
Answer: a) The amount of data that can be transferred between cache and main memory in one operation
What is the primary function of “cache memory replacement algorithms”?
a) To decide which cache lines to evict when new data needs to be loaded into the cache
b) To manage main memory
c) To increase cache size
d) To handle network communication
Answer: a) To decide which cache lines to evict when new data needs to be loaded into the cache
Which cache policy updates data in the main memory only when it is evicted from the cache?
a) Write-back
b) Write-through
c) Write-allocate
d) No-write allocate
Answer: a) Write-back
What is the impact of “cache size” on performance?
a) Larger cache size can reduce cache misses and improve performance
b) Larger cache size decreases performance
c) Cache size has no effect on performance
d) Larger cache size reduces the size of main memory
Answer: a) Larger cache size can reduce cache misses and improve performance
Which type of cache is typically used to store frequently accessed data for faster retrieval?
a) L1 Cache
b) L2 Cache
c) L3 Cache
d) Disk Cache
Answer: a) L1 Cache
What is the “cache line replacement” strategy used for?
a) To manage which data is removed from the cache when new data is added
b) To increase cache size
c) To manage disk storage
d) To handle network communication
Answer: a) To manage which data is removed from the cache when new data is added
How does “cache memory efficiency” relate to system performance?
a) Higher cache efficiency improves performance by reducing access times and misses
b) Lower cache efficiency improves performance
c) Cache efficiency has no impact on performance
d) Cache efficiency is unrelated to system performance
Answer: a) Higher cache efficiency improves performance by reducing access times and misses
What is the primary purpose of “cache memory tagging”?
a) To identify and manage cache lines and their corresponding data
b) To increase the size of the cache
c) To manage disk storage
d) To handle network communication
Answer: a) To identify and manage cache lines and their corresponding data
How does “cache memory write policy” affect data consistency?
a) It determines how and when data is written to both the cache and main memory, affecting consistency
b) It only affects cache access speed
c) It has no impact on data consistency
d) It simplifies cache management
Answer: a) It determines how and when data is written to both the cache and main memory, affecting consistency
What is a “cache memory hit ratio”?
a) The proportion of cache accesses that result in a cache hit
b) The proportion of cache accesses that result in a cache miss
c) The total number of cache lines
d) The size of the cache
Answer: a) The proportion of cache accesses that result in a cache hit
Which type of cache is shared among multiple CPU cores in a multi-core processor system?
a) L3 Cache
b) L1 Cache
c) L2 Cache
d) Main Memory
Answer: a) L3 Cache
What is the purpose of “cache memory burst access”?
a) To improve performance by accessing multiple cache lines in a single operation
b) To manage disk storage
c) To reduce cache size
d) To handle network communication
Answer: a) To improve performance by accessing multiple cache lines in a single operation
How does “cache memory latency” affect system performance?
a) Higher latency increases the time it takes to access data from the cache, potentially reducing performance
b) Lower latency improves cache efficiency
c) Cache latency has no impact on performance
d) Cache latency only affects main memory
Answer: a) Higher latency increases the time it takes to access data from the cache, potentially reducing performance
What is “cache memory bandwidth”?
a) The amount of data that can be transferred to and from the cache per unit of time
b) The size of the cache
c) The speed of the CPU
d) The capacity of the main memory
Answer: a) The amount of data that can be transferred to and from the cache per unit of time
What is the impact of “cache memory block size” on performance?
a) Larger block sizes can reduce the number of cache misses but may increase the likelihood of cache pollution
b) Smaller block sizes can reduce cache pollution but may increase the number of cache misses
c) Block size has no effect on performance
d) Block size affects only disk storage
Answer: a) Larger block sizes can reduce the number of cache misses but may increase the likelihood of cache pollution
Which cache policy involves writing data to the main memory only when it is evicted from the cache?
a) Write-back
b) Write-through
c) Write-allocate
d) No-write allocate
Answer: a) Write-back
What does “cache memory replacement policy” determine?
a) Which cache lines are removed when new data is added
b) The size of the cache
c) The speed of the cache
d) The amount of main memory
Answer: a) Which cache lines are removed when new data is added
What is “cache memory mapping”?
a) The process of associating main memory addresses with cache lines
b) The size of the cache
c) The speed of the CPU
d) The process of managing disk storage
Answer: a) The process of associating main memory addresses with cache lines
What is “cache memory fragmentation”?
a) The situation where free space in the cache is scattered rather than contiguous
b) The process of increasing cache size
c) The process of handling network communication
d) The process of managing disk storage
Answer: a) The situation where free space in the cache is scattered rather than contiguous
How does “cache memory associativity” affect conflict misses?
a) Higher associativity reduces conflict misses by allowing more flexible data placement
b) Lower associativity increases conflict misses
c) Associativity has no impact on conflict misses
d) Associativity only affects cache speed
Answer: a) Higher associativity reduces conflict misses by allowing more flexible data placement
What is the purpose of “cache memory write policy”?
a) To determine how updates to cache data are propagated to main memory
b) To increase the size of the cache
c) To manage disk storage
d) To handle network communication
Answer: a) To determine how updates to cache data are propagated to main memory
Which type of cache is designed to store frequently used data close to the CPU for fast access?
a) L1 Cache
b) L2 Cache
c) L3 Cache
d) Disk Cache
Answer: a) L1 Cache
What is “cache memory replacement algorithm”?
a) A strategy used to decide which data to remove from the cache when new data is loaded
b) A method to increase cache size
c) A technique to manage disk storage
d) A method for handling network traffic
Answer: a) A strategy used to decide which data to remove from the cache when new data is loaded
What does “cache memory locality” refer to?
a) The principle that programs tend to access a small subset of memory repeatedly, which cache memory exploits
b) The size of the cache
c) The speed of the CPU
d) The capacity of main memory
Answer: a) The principle that programs tend to access a small subset of memory repeatedly, which cache memory exploits
How does “cache memory efficiency” impact system performance?
a) Higher efficiency reduces cache misses and improves overall performance
b) Lower efficiency improves performance
c) Cache efficiency has no impact on system performance
d) Cache efficiency is unrelated to performance
Answer: a) Higher efficiency reduces cache misses and improves overall performance
What is the role of “cache memory in a CPU”?
a) To store frequently accessed data and instructions to speed up processing
b) To increase the size of main memory
c) To manage disk storage
d) To handle network communications
Answer: a) To store frequently accessed data and instructions to speed up processing
What is “cache memory contention”?
a) A situation where multiple processes compete for limited cache space, affecting performance
b) A method to increase cache size
c) A technique to manage disk storage
d) A policy for handling network traffic
Answer: a) A situation where multiple processes compete for limited cache space, affecting performance
Which of the following describes the function of “cache memory indexing”?
a) The method used to locate data within the cache based on memory addresses
b) The size of the cache
c) The speed of the CPU
d) The process of managing disk storage
Answer: a) The method used to locate data within the cache based on memory addresses
What is “cache memory write-back policy”?
a) A policy where data is only written to the main memory when the cache line is evicted
b) A policy where data is written to both the cache and main memory simultaneously
c) A policy where data is written only to the disk
d) A policy that handles network traffic
Answer: a) A policy where data is only written to the main memory when the cache line is evicted
What is “cache memory prefetching”?
a) A technique to load data into the cache before it is requested to reduce cache misses
b) A method to increase cache size
c) A policy for managing disk storage
d) A technique for handling network communications
Answer: a) A technique to load data into the cache before it is requested to reduce cache misses
How does “cache memory write-through policy” affect data consistency?
a) It ensures data consistency by writing data to both the cache and main memory simultaneously
b) It decreases data consistency by writing data only to the cache
c) It has no impact on data consistency
d) It simplifies cache management
Answer: a) It ensures data consistency by writing data to both the cache and main memory simultaneously
What is “cache memory latency”?
a) The time delay between requesting data and receiving it from the cache
b) The size of the cache
c) The speed of the CPU
d) The amount of main memory
Answer: a) The time delay between requesting data and receiving it from the cache
How does “cache memory size” affect performance?
a) Larger cache size generally improves performance by reducing cache misses
b) Smaller cache size generally improves performance
c) Cache size has no effect on performance
d) Cache size only affects disk storage
Answer: a) Larger cache size generally improves performance by reducing cache misses
What is “cache memory block”?
a) The smallest unit of data that can be transferred between the cache and main memory
b) The size of the entire cache
c) The speed of the cache
d) The address of the cache
Answer: a) The smallest unit of data that can be transferred between the cache and main memory
What is “cache memory write policy”?
a) A set of rules that determines how data is written to the cache and main memory
b) A method to increase cache size
c) A technique for managing disk storage
d) A policy for handling network communications
Answer: a) A set of rules that determines how data is written to the cache and main memory
Which of the following is a common technique used in cache memory design to reduce latency?
a) Increasing the cache size
b) Reducing the cache line size
c) Using higher associativity
d) Reducing the speed of the CPU
Answer: c) Using higher associativity
What does “cache memory performance” depend on?
a) Cache size, associativity, and replacement policies
b) Main memory size
c) Disk storage size
d) Network speed
Answer: a) Cache size, associativity, and replacement policies
What is “cache memory flush”?
a) The process of clearing all data from the cache
b) The process of increasing cache size
c) The process of managing disk storage
d) The process of handling network traffic
Answer: a) The process of clearing all data from the cache
How does “cache memory write-allocate” policy impact performance?
a) It can improve performance by loading data into the cache on a write miss
b) It can decrease performance by avoiding loading data into the cache
c) It has no impact on performance
d) It simplifies cache management
Answer: a) It can improve performance by loading data into the cache on a write miss
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