1. A computer implemented method comprising: executing, by a processor, an extract cache attribute machine instruction defined for a computer architecture, the extract cache attribute machine instruction comprising an opcode for identifying the extract cache attribute machine instruction, the executing comprising: determining a target cache of a hierarchy of target caches based on a cache-level identifier specified by the extract cache attribute machine instruction; extracting an attribute of the target cache; and saving the extracted attribute of the target cache at an extract cache attribute machine instruction specified location.