CSR: Medium: Collaborative Research: Interweaving the Parallel Software/Hardware Stack

该项目旨在推动并行系统的发展。通常，并行系统的各个层——编译器、运行时系统、操作系统和硬件——被视为具有严格分工的独立实体。这个项目研究了另一种模型，“交织”，在这种模型中，这些层根据需要集成在一起，以提高特定并行系统的性能、可伸缩性和效率。该研究包括五个重点：(1)使用编译器技术进行混合研究，以实现通常在不同的单独编译层中发现的代码的集成。(2)相干性考虑了没有内存的硬件相干性及其在整个“交织”并行系统中的含义。(3)可预测性研究通过硬件和编译器支持将硬实时行为集成到并行系统中。(4)映射考虑了给定硬件和编译器支持的并行系统的地址转换。(5)调试研究如何调试一个交织系统。这些调查与原型的持续开发及其评估密切相关。并行系统在科学和工程中具有至关重要的意义，并且已经无处不在；即使是像智能手机这样的简单设备也越来越多地采用并行性。因此，该项目有潜力通过其思想和开放代码来改进广泛的应用程序。它还将培养博士和本科生，并加强芝加哥地区两所大学之间的合作。代码、数据和结果将在项目期间公开维护（http://interweaving.org），并在之后的五年内考虑请求。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project seeks to advance the state of the art of parallel systems. Usually, the layers of a parallel system - the compiler, run-time system, operating system, and hardware - are considered as separate entities with a rigid division of labor. This project investigates an alternative model, "interweaving," in which these layers are integrated as needed to improve the performance, scalability, and efficiency of the specific parallel system.The research involves five thrusts: (1) Blending studies using compiler technology to achieve integration of code that would normally be found in distinct, separately compiled layers. (2) Coherence considers hardware without memory coherence and its implications throughout the "interwoven" parallel system. (3) Predictability studies the integration of hard real-time behavior into a parallel system through hardware and compiler support. (4) Mapping considers address translation for parallel systems given hardware and compiler support. (5) Debugging studies how to debug an interwoven system. These investigations go hand-in-hand with the continual development of a prototype and its evaluation.Parallel systems are of critical importance for science and engineering, and have become ubiquitous; even simple devices like smartphones incorporate growing parallelism. The project thus has the potential to improve a wide range of applications both through its ideas and is open code. It will also train Ph.D. and undergraduate students, and enhance collaborations between two Chicago-area universities.Code, data, and results will be maintained publicly (http://interweaving.org) for the project's duration, and requests considered for five years afterwards.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.