According to the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided for
increasing the efficiency of data access in a multiple processor,
multiple cluster system. Mechanisms for improving the accuracy of
information available to a cache coherence controller are provided in
order to allow the cache coherence controller to reduce the number of
transactions in a multiple cluster system. Non-change probes and
augmented non-change probe responses are provided to acquire state
information in remote clusters without affecting the state of the probed
memory line. Augmented probe responses associated with shared and
invalidating probes are provided to update state information in a
coherence directory during read and read/write probe requests.