A Systems Approach to a Modern Computer Architecture Laboratory

计算机体系结构通常是从以cpu为中心、深度重于广度、与上下文无关的角度来教授的。这种方法对计算机科学和软件工程专业的学生是否有效似乎值得怀疑。我们将开发计算机体系结构的实验课程，将计算机体系结构的思想置于系统环境中，强调体系结构知识对软件和系统开发至关重要的应用。我们将在新的计算机系统体系结构课程中重点关注的领域是体系结构子系统（CPU、内存、I/O）、性能评估、并行体系结构和高性能计算。我们将使用模拟和实验作为教学概念的一种手段，以及重要的活动本身。我们将开发14个实验练习。共享内存多处理器将使现代架构子系统的研究成为可能，支持包括基准测试在内的实验性能评估，并教授在商业通用多处理器上进行软件开发的介绍。其他实验室将使用性能监控和模拟软件来研究体系结构子系统、它们之间的交互以及它们对性能的影响。商业软件支持网络工作站计算模型将使学生深入了解并行处理。一个简短而基本的逻辑门和电路的介绍，以及附带的面包板实验室，将揭开现代计算机计算元素的神秘面纱。我们项目的评估计划包括一项纵向研究，以评估学生对计算机体系结构态度的变化，以及第二项研究，以衡量我们基于实验室的课程对学生基本计算机体系结构概念知识的有效性。

Computer architecture has been typically taught from a CPU-centric, depth-over-breadth, context-free perspective. The efficacy of this approach for computer science and software- engineering majors seems questionable. We will develop a laboratory curriculum for computer architecture which places the ideas of computer architecture in a systems context, emphasizing applications where knowledge of architecture is essential for software and system development. The areas on which we will focus our new computer systems architecture course are architectural subsystems (CPU, memory, I/O), performance evaluation, parallel architectures, and high performance computing. We will use simulations and experiments as a means of teaching concepts, as well as important activities in themselves. We will develop fourteen laboratory exercises. A shared-memory multiprocessor will enable the study of modern architectural subsystems, support experimental performance evaluation including benchmarking, and teach an introduction to software development on a commercially common multiprocessor. Other labs will use performance monitoring and simulation software to study architectural subsystems, their interaction, and their impact on performance. Commercial software to support the network of workstations computing model will give students insights into parallel processing. A short and basic introduction to logic gates and circuits with accompanying breadboard laboratory will de-mystify the computing elements of modern computers. The evaluation plan for our project includes a longitudinal study to assess student change in attitude towards computer architecture, and a second study to measure the efficacy of our laboratory based curriculum on student's knowledge of fundamental computer architecture concepts.