A behavioral memory mechanism for performing fetch prediction within a data
processing system is disclosed. The data processing system includes a
processor, a real memory, an address converter, a fetch prediction means,
and an address translator. The real memory has multiple real address
locations, and each of the real address locations is associated with a
corresponding one of many virtual address locations. The virtual address
locations are divided into two non-overlapping regions, namely, an
architecturally visible virtual memory region and a behavioral virtual
memory region. The address converter converts an effective address to an
architecturally visible virtual address and a behavioral virtual address.
The architecturally visible virtual address is utilized to access the
architecturally visible virtual memory region of the virtual memory and
the behavioral virtual address is utilized to access the behavioral
virtual memory region of the virtual memory. Stored within the behavioral
virtual memory region of the virtual memory, the fetch prediction means
provides a behavioral virtual address of a next fetch instruction block.
The address translator translates the behavioral virtual address of a next
fetch instruction block predictor to a real address associated with the
real memory.