CAREER: Improving the Access-Execute Balance in High Performance Processors

程序行为研究表明，当前大多数高性能处理器在计算地址和访问数据上花费的时间比执行应用程序所需的功能操作要多。这项研究包括调查平衡的多问题体系结构设计中的问题，该体系结构可以改善访问-执行平衡，最大化各个功能单元之间的解耦，利用更高的并发性和实现更高的性能。用于缓解访问-执行失衡的技术包括(I)并行执行多个访问任务，(Ii)提供对复杂访问原语的体系结构支持，以及(Iii)提供特定于应用的访问原语。还将对改善访问进程和执行进程之间的并发性进行调查。在许多解耦的访问-执行体系结构中，队列已经利用了访问和执行之间的并发性，但数据依赖控制依赖通常会禁止将数据预取到队列。这项研究将研究即使在存在数据依赖控制依赖项的情况下也能促进预期加载到队列的技术。这项研究将建立在PI之前对访问、执行解耦和其他提高内存访问性能的方案的研究的基础上。PI正在将主动学习、合作学习等创新技术融入课堂。她希望在她的课程中强调设计、设计自动化和实验方面的内容。作为课程改进的一部分，正在开发一门新的高级计算机体系结构研究生课程和一门关于使用现场可编程门阵列进行数字设计的本科课程和实验室。国际和平协会还计划参加针对高中生的外联活动以及针对妇女和少数民族的特别方案。总体目标是促进研究生、本科生和大学预科教育的有效学习。***

Program behavior studies reveal that most current high performance processors spend more time computing addresses and accessing data than performing the functional operations required by application programs. This research consists of investigating issues in the design of a balanced multiple issues architecture that improves the access-execute balance, maximized the decoupling between the various functional units, exploits higher concurrency and achieves higher performance. The techniques used to alleviate access- execute imbalance include (I) executing multiple access tasks in parallel, (ii) providing architectural support for complex access primitives, and (iii) providing application- specific access primitives. Also performed will be investigations on improving concurrency between access and execute processes. Concurrency between access and execution has been exploited by queues in many decoupled access- execute architectures, but data dependent control dependencies often prohibit prefetching of data to queues. This research will investigate techniques to facilitate anticipatory loading to queues even in presence of data dependent control dependencies. The research will build on the PI's previous studies on accessexecute decoupling and other schemes to improve the performance of memory accessing. The PI is incorporating innovative techniques such as active learning, and cooperative learning into the classroom. She wants to emphasize design, design automation, and experimental aspects in her courses. As part of curriculum improvement, a new graduate course on Advanced Computer architecture and an undergraduate course and laboratory on Digital Design using FPGAs are being developed. The PI also plans to participate in outreach activities for high-school students and special programs for women and minorities. The overall objective is to stimulate efficient learning at graduate, undergraduate and pre-college levels of education. ***