Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a scheme in which information as to the future behavior of particular software is used in order to optimize cache management and reduce cache pollution. Accordingly, a certain type of data can be defined as “short life data” by using knowledge of the expected behavior of particular software. Short life data can be a type of data which, according to the ordinary expected operation of the software, is not expected to be used by the software often in the future. Data blocks which are to be stored in the cache can be examined to determine if they are short life data blocks. If the data blocks are in fact short life data blocks they can be stored only in a particular short life area of the cache.