Which portion of a cache address specifies the cache line to which a memory block maps?

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Multiple Choice

Which portion of a cache address specifies the cache line to which a memory block maps?

Explanation:
In cache addressing, an address is divided into tag, index, and offset. The index tells the cache which line (or which set, in a set-associative cache) the memory block maps to. In a direct-mapped cache, that index points to a single line, so the block can only reside there. The tag bits are used to verify that the data in that line is actually the requested block, and the offset bits pick the exact byte or word inside the block. The page field is not part of the cache addressing; it relates to virtual memory paging. So the index field is what specifies the cache line.

In cache addressing, an address is divided into tag, index, and offset. The index tells the cache which line (or which set, in a set-associative cache) the memory block maps to. In a direct-mapped cache, that index points to a single line, so the block can only reside there. The tag bits are used to verify that the data in that line is actually the requested block, and the offset bits pick the exact byte or word inside the block. The page field is not part of the cache addressing; it relates to virtual memory paging. So the index field is what specifies the cache line.

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