A module is provided to support online cache diagnostics in a Linux
operating system. The module is dynamically loaded to a kernel of the
operating system. Upon activation, the module allocates memory for a user
level program and a manager maps a contiguous buffer of memory from a
kernel address space to a user process address space. The buffer is
contiguous in both the physical and virtual address space. Physical
memory displacement between access is controlled from the user level.
Accordingly, the module enables allocation of contiguous lines of memory
from the kernel to the user space in which control of the memory
displacement occurs at the user level.