A messaging protocol that facilitates a distributed cache coherency
conflict resolution in a multi-node system that resolves conflicts at a
home node. The protocol may perform a method including supporting at
least three protocol classes for the messaging protocol, via at least
three virtual channels provided by a link layer of a network fabric
coupled to the caching agents, wherein the virtual channels include a
first virtual channel to support a probe message class, a second virtual
channel to support an acknowledgment message class, and a third virtual
channel to support a response message class.