TRACKING TEMPORAL USE ASSOCIATED WITH CACHE EVICTIONS

A method and apparatus for tracking temporal use associated with cache evictions to reduce allocations in a victim cache is disclosed. Access data for a number of sets of instructions in an instruction cache is tracked at least until the data for one or more of the sets reach a predetermined threshold condition. Determinations whether to allocate entry storage in the victim cache may be made responsive in part to the access data for sets reaching the predetermined threshold condition. A micro-operation can be inserted into the execution pipeline in part to synchronize the access data for all the sets. Upon retirement of the micro-operation from the execution pipeline, access data for the sets can be synchronized and/or any previously allocated entry storage in the victim cache can be invalidated.