Systems software support for new generation non-volatile memories

这项NSERC发现补助金提出了新的和及时的研究系统软件支持的新的，新兴的非易失性存储器（NVRAM）技术。这些新技术以字节粒度运行，几乎与DRAM一样快，但它们的价格比DRAM低一个数量级。潜在的NVRAM技术的两个示例是相变和忆阻器存储器。 NVRAM技术的颠覆性：我们相信这些新的NVRAM技术将改变游戏规则，这一前景让我们非常兴奋。NVRAM将对计算机系统架构和应用程序造成破坏。NVRAM将破坏计算机系统架构，因为它要么需要存储器层次结构中的新层，要么将部分合并并取代DRAM和过去50年来渗透计算机系统的本地持久存储层。NVRAM将中断应用程序，因为访问持久存储将比当前的内存技术更有效。我们甚至期待新的编程模型。 对系统软件的影响：这些新的现实将以一种主要的方式影响系统软件，即硬件和应用程序之间的软件层。 现有的系统软件必须适应新的硬件结构。例如，文件系统和虚拟内存系统将必须完全重新设计;操作系统及其服务器的组织可能必须完全重组;保护模式可能必须大幅改变。此外，需要设计新的系统软件，以支持使用新存储器的应用程序，并支持预期的新编程模式。 NVRAM提供了许多引人注目的潜在优势，但同时也带来了挑战。例如，通过将所有应用程序状态保存在NVRAM中，可以使长时间运行的应用程序更加可靠，从而允许它们在许多类型的系统故障后继续执行。另一方面，如果不采取适当的干预措施，系统故障可能导致永久性的不一致。 研究目的：我们的研究目标是：（i）更好地理解如何最好地使用NVRAM，以便使应用程序和系统软件受益，（ii）开发通用技术，帮助应用程序更好地使用NVRAM，（iii）推进系统软件的最新技术，以适应NVRAM技术，（iv）使新的应用程序类别能够使用NVRAM，及（v）为HQP提供良好的培训基础。

This NSERC Discovery Grant proposes novel and timely research on systems software support for the new, emerging non-volatile memory (NVRAM) technologies. These new technologies operate at byte granularity, are almost as fast as DRAM, and yet they have a price point one order of magnitude lower than DRAM. Two examples of potential NVRAM technologies are phase-change and memristor memories. Disruptive nature of NVRAM technology: We believe these new NVRAM technologies will be game changers, and this prospect has us very excited. NVRAM will be disruptive to both computer systems architectures and to applications. NVRAM will disrupt computer systems architectures because it will either require a new layer in the memory hierarchy or it will partially merge and replace the DRAM and local, persistent storage layers that have permeated computer systems for the last 50 years. NVRAM will disrupt applications because accessing persistent storage will be dramatically more efficient than with current memory technologies. We even anticipate new programming models. Effect on systems software: These new realities will affect systems software, the layer of software between hardware and applications, in a major way. Existing systems software will have to be adapted to the new hardware architectures. For example, file systems and virtual memory systems will have to be completely redesigned; the organization of the operating system and its servers will likely have to be completely reorganized; and the model of protection will likely have to be significantly altered. Furthermore, new systems software will need to be devised to support applications that use the new memories and to support the anticipated new programming models. NVRAM offers many compelling potential advantages, but at the same time introduces challenges. For example, long-running applications can be made much more reliable by keeping all application states in NVRAM, thus allowing them to continue execution after many types of system failures. On the other hand, system failures can result in permanent inconsistencies if appropriate interventions are not taken. Research objectives: Our objectives for this research are: (i) to obtain a better understanding of how best to use NVRAM so as to benefit applications and systems software, (ii) to develop general techniques to help applications better utilize NVRAM, (iii) to advance the state-of-the-art in systems software to accommodate NVRAM technologies, (iv) to enable new classes of applications that make use of NVRAM, and (v) to provide a fertile training ground for HQPs.