The data-processing unit (DPU) holds most of the program-visible processor states, such as general-purpose registers and system registers. It provides configuration and control of the memory system and its associated functionality. It decodes and executes instructions while operating on data held in the registers, in accordance with the Arm v8-A architecture. Instructions are fed to the DPU from the IFU. The DPU executes instructions that require data to be transferred to or from the memory system by interfacing to the data-cache unit (DCU), which manages all load and store operations.