On Linux based systems, how can I estimate or maybe read the CPU L2 shared memory % of usage?
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3What is the use of unused CPU caches? You will more likely get a useful answer if you [edit] your question to include the specific *problem* you are trying to solve through estimating or measuring whatever it is you are asking for. – anx Sep 07 '21 at 00:00
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You can not because it is a metric without any sense. The result will be 100% ALL THE TIME (outside a cache flush or the computer starting).
Cache is used on a LRU (Last Recently Used) method. L2 cache will run full at computer start (when the boot loader runs) and then stay at 100% utilization.
A better metric - one that does make sense actually - would be "% of requests that trigger a load". Means, what percent of queries can be answered from the cached data (or, as I said, trigger a load from the next cache/RAM).
But unless you have a cache flush (memory barrier) - the cache will never be not fully utilized as it would make no sense to waste it. It can contain old data not used anymore, but it will be utilized.
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TomTom
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