Method and apparatus for software-assisted data cache and prefetch control

The present invention provides a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for compiling instructions to manage a cache system. Loop constructs are analyzed to identify data usage characteristics for cache and prefetching conditions in instructions to form identified prefetch conditions. A set of control instructions are inserted into the instructions based on the data usage characteristics and the identified prefetch conditions to form multiple modified instructions. The set of multiple modified instructions are compiled to generate code for execution to form compiled instructions. The set of control instructions in the compiled instructions form a cache management policy to control movement of data in a memory system during execution of the compiled instructions.