International Workshop on Simulation and Evaluation Techniques for Modern Processors

研讨会将审议处理器评价中的短期和长期问题。至少考虑一些短期问题的理由是明确的：模拟危机已经到来。即使是SPEC95基准测试也不能使用精确的周期模拟运行到完成。SPEC2000基准要长得多。目前正在使用各种减少模拟时间的技术，但对于哪种技术最合适还没有达成一致意见。一些明显无效的评估技术之所以被使用，仅仅是因为没有其他方法可以在必要的周转时间内提供科学有效的结果。我们建议将以下问题作为讨论的起点。度量：什么是用于各种体系结构研究的适当度量标准？基准：什么是用于未来5年各种体系结构研究的适当基准？抽象：研究人员如何确定加速模拟(但可能降低准确性)的抽象何时合适，何时不合适？如何表征它们的准确性和精确度？抽样：研究人员如何/何时/是否可以在单个模拟中使用在高细节和低细节之间变化的混合模式模拟？如何验证此类模拟的准确性？敏感性：研究人员如何构建敏感度研究，以确定低级别错误何时会转化为大错误，而不是低级别错误的影响在聚合到完整模拟时何时会被屏蔽？验证方法：如何在构建类似处理器之前验证处理器模拟？硬件辅助：模拟如何利用硬件性能计数器和其他硬件辅助来评估下一代处理器(可能与我们从中获取硬件计数的系统具有不同的组织)？可移植性：处理器型号复杂，通常与模拟基础设施密切相关(例如，SimpleScalar，ATOM)，一旦模型被验证，开发新模型的成本就变得很高。然而，不同的模拟器平台最适合不同的实验。如何才能最好地实现处理器模型的可移植性？POWER：架构师对POWER建模的兴趣与日俱增，带来了哪些新的模拟问题？

The workshop will consider both short-term and longer-term issues in processor evaluation. The rationale for considering at least some short-term issues is clear: the simulation crisis is already here. Even the SPEC95 benchmarks cannot be run to completion using cycle-accurate simulation. The SPEC2000 benchmarks are substantially longer. A variety of techniques for reducing simulation time are currently in use, yet there is no agreement on which techniques are most appropriate. Some clearly-invalid evaluation techniques are in use simply because there are no alternatives that offer scientifically-valid results with the necessary turnaround times.We propose to use the following questions as a starting point for discussion.Metrics: What are the proper metrics to use for various architectural studies?Benchmarks: What are the appropriate benchmarks to use for various architectural studies in the next 5 years?Abstractions: How can researchers determine when abstractions that accelerate simulation (but may reduce accuracy) are appropriate and when they are not? How can their accuracy and precision be characterized?Sampling: How/when/whether can researchers use mixed-mode simulations that vary between high and low amounts of detail in a single simulation? How can the accuracy of such simulations be verified?Sensitivity: How can researchers structure sensitivity studies to determine when a low-level error will translate into large errors, as opposed to when the low-level error's effect will be masked when aggregated into the full simulation?Validation methods: How can a processor simulation be validated before a similar processor is built?Hardware assists: How can simulations make use of hardware performance counters and other hardware assists for evaluating next-generation processors (which may have different organizations than the systems from which we are obtaining hardware counts)?Portability: Processor models are complex and often closely tied to the simulation infrastructure (e.g., SimpleScalar, ATOM) on which they are developed, and once a model has been validated, it becomes expensive to develop new models. Yet different simulator platforms are best suited for different experiments. How can the portability of processor models best be accomplished?Power: What new simulation questions are raised by the growing interest among architects in power modeling?