Intel 253668-032US User Manual

Page of 806
Vol. 3 4-39
PAGING
tively. Section 4.10.3 explains how software can remove inconsistent cached 
information by invalidating portions of the TLBs and paging-structure caches. Section 
4.10.4 d
escribes special considerations for multiprocessor systems.
4.10.1 
Translation Lookaside Buffers (TLBs)
A processor may cache information about the translation of linear addresses in trans-
lation lookaside buffers (TLBs). In general, TLBs contain entries that map page 
numbers to page frames; these terms are defined in Section 4.10.1.1. Section 
4.10.1.2
 describes how information may be cached in TLBs, and Section 4.10.1.3 
gives details of TLB usage. Section 4.10.1.4 explains the global-page feature, which 
allows software to indicate that certain translations should receive special treatment 
when cached in the TLBs.
4.10.1.1   Page Numbers, Page Frames, and Page Offsets
Section 4.3, Section 4.4.2, and Section 4.5 give details of how the different paging 
modes translate linear addresses to physical addresses. Specifically, the upper bits of 
a linear address (called the page number) determine the upper bits of the physical 
address (called the page frame); the lower bits of the linear address (called the 
page offset) determine the lower bits of the physical address. The boundary 
between the page number and the page offset is determined by the page size
Specifically:
32-bit paging:
— If the translation does not use a PTE (because CR4.PSE = 1 and the PS flag is 
1 in the PDE used), the page size is 4 MBytes and the page number comprises 
bits 31:22 of the linear address.
— If the translation does use a PTE, the page size is 4 KBytes and the page 
number comprises bits 31:12 of the linear address.
PAE paging:
— If the translation does not use a PTE (because the PS flag is 1 in the PDE 
used), the page size is 2 MBytes and the page number comprises bits 31:21 
of the linear address.
— If the translation does uses a PTE, the page size is 4 KBytes and the page 
number comprises bits 31:12 of the linear address.
IA-32e paging:
— If the translation does not uses a PTE (because the PS flag is 1 in the PDE 
used), the page size is 2 MBytes and the page number comprises bits 47:21 
of the linear address.
— If the translation does use a PTE, the page size is 4 KBytes and the page 
number comprises bits 47:12 of the linear address.