Software Susceptibility-Driven Non-Uniform Memory Error Protection

存储设备可能由于制造缺陷、设备老化或宇宙射线引起的中子的粒子撞击而出现错误。随着半导体技术的不断发展，存储器错误是对计算机系统可靠性的一个重要威胁。本课题开发了一种新的方法，利用计算机系统中不同存储区域的不相等的错误敏感性来防止非均匀内存错误。与行业研究人员的合作有助于将开发的技术集成到现实世界的存储技术中。该项目的成果将有助于提高对社会和世界经济健康至关重要的综合计算机系统可靠性。该项目的课程改进和学生培训使先进的人力资源开发成为当今和未来数字劳动力所必需的。该项目的研究和开发工作包括四个协同组成部分：首先，该项目引入了一种新的软件方法，该方法系统地揭示了内存错误传播及其后果的重要特征。其次，研究开发新的节能硬件支持，以灵活、动态地调整每个存储区域的存储错误保护。第三，本项目设计了基于软件错误敏感性和硬件保护成本优化可靠性和效率的非统一内存错误保护策略。最后，利用实际应用场景对所开发的错误敏感性评估和非均匀保护技术进行了评估。该项目开发的跨层（软件/硬件）技术使先进的存储器可靠性机制得到广泛应用，而不会显著降低性能或能源效率。

A memory device may exhibit errors due to manufacturing defects, device aging, or particle strikes from cosmic-ray-induced neutrons. Memory errors are an important threat to computer system reliability as semiconductor technologies continue to scale. This project develops a new approach that protects against memory errors non-uniformly by exploiting unequal error susceptibility at different memory regions in a computer system. Collaboration with industry researchers facilitates the integration of developed techniques into real-world memory technologies. Results of this project will contribute to comprehensive computer system reliability that is critical to society and the health of the world's economy. Curriculum enhancement and student training in this project enable advanced human resource development that is necessary for today's and tomorrow's digital workforce.Research and development efforts within this project include four synergistic components: First, this project introduces a new software approach that systematically uncovers important characteristics of memory error propagation and its consequences. Second, research develops new energy-efficient hardware support for flexible, dynamic adjustment of memory error protection on each memory area. Third, this project devises non-uniform memory error protection policies that optimize for reliability and efficiency based on software error susceptibility and hardware protection costs. Finally, the developed error susceptibility assessment and non-uniform protection techniques are evaluated using real application scenarios. Cross-layer (software/hardware) technologies developed in this project enable wide utilization of advanced memory reliability mechanisms without significant loss of performance or energy efficiency.