SHF: Small: Thermal-Aware High-Performance DRAM Architectures in Multicore Technologies

环境保护署估计，到2011年，全国数据中心的用电量将相当于大约30家发电厂的发电量。显然，改善这些系统的功率和热工性能直接影响到它们的能效和可靠运行。DRAM存储器占计算机功耗的很大一部分。此外，在多核/多核处理器的曙光时代，系统的性能在很大程度上取决于其主内存效率。该项目研究在充分利用带宽的情况下操作DRAM的方法，同时花费每单位通信数据的最低功率并保持较低的工作温度。具体地说，这项工作旨在回答三个基本问题：a)如何增强处理器体系结构以平衡不同DRAM芯片上的活动，以保护处于热压力下的芯片；b)如何增强DRAM系统以降低其功耗和峰值工作温度；以及c)我们如何增强操作系统以改善DRAM系统的热行为？本项目开发的技术将改善DRAM系统的热行为，从而降低热管理成本和系统能耗。此外，这些改进将使新一代高性能处理器成为可能。这反过来将增强未来计算系统的计算能力，并使各个领域取得进展。最后，这项工作产生的项目将被纳入课程，帮助培训一支工程劳动力，以建立一个节能和可持续的社会。

Environment Protection Agency estimates that by 2011 data centers nationwide would consume electricity amounting to the equivalent output of about 30 power plants. Clearly, improving the power and thermal behavior of these systems has a direct impact on their energy efficiency and reliable operation. DRAM memories constitute a significant fraction of the power consumed in computers. In addition, in the dawning era of multi-/many-core processors, the performance of a system is largely dependant on its main memory efficiency. This project investigates ways to operate DRAMs at full bandwidth utilization while spending the minimum power per unit of data communicated and maintaining lower operating temperatures. Specifically, this work aims at answering three fundamental questions: a) how can we enhance processor architectures to balance the activity on different DRAM chips to protect chips under thermal stress, b) how can we enhance the DRAM systems to reduce their power consumption and peak operating temperatures, and c) how can we enhance the operating systems to improve the thermal behavior of DRAM systems? Techniques developed in this project will improve the thermal behavior of DRAM systems and hence will reduce the cost of thermal management and decrease the system energy consumption. Furthermore, these improvements will enable new generations of high-performance processors. This, in turn, will enhance the computational capabilities of future computing systems and enable progress in various fields. Finally, projects derived from this work will be integrated into courses contributing to the training of an engineering workforce for an energy-efficient and sustainable society.