CAREER: Niche-based Systems: Uniform Abstractions for Non-uniform Hardware

面对当前的技术趋势，对更快、更节能、更易于编程的计算机的追求将从根本上改变我们设计计算机系统的方式。基于利基的计算机系统通过将各种专用和半专用处理器组合成异构计算结构来解决这些挑战。基于小生境的软件组件为这种结构提供了统一的抽象，使其易于程序员使用。基于小生境的系统包含一组可配置的、不统一的计算元素（ce），这些计算元素在功能、性能和功耗方面差异很大。基于小生境系统中的软件运行时为非统一ce提供了统一的抽象和编程模型。运行时动态地跨ce对程序进行分区，并将它们转换为执行。因此，基于小生境的系统可以利用专用ce的功能和性能优势，更有效地执行通用计算。此外，基于利基的系统可以解决制造缺陷和设备磨损在先进工艺技术中导致的无意的不均匀性。PI建议在基于小生境的系统中探索每个硬件和软件组件的设计空间，并构建原型实现。这些组件包括三个关键的软件系统：Niche运行时系统和用于为一系列CE生成可执行代码的转换器，用于指定（并通过正式方法技术验证）CE行为并生成所需CE特定转换器的部分自动化系统，以及用于为基于Niche的系统生成可执行文件的前端编译器。PI也正在从商业上可用的硬件构建一个基于利基的原型硬件系统。

In the face of current technology trends, the drive for faster, less power-hungry, and easier-to-program computers will fundamentally alter how we design computer systems. Niche-based computer systems address these challenges by combining a diverse range of specialized and semi-specialized processors into a heterogeneous computing fabric. The niche-based software components provide a uniform abstraction for this fabric that makes it easy for programmers to utilize.Niche-based systems contain a configurable, non-uniform set of computing elements (CEs) that vary widely in capabilities, performance, and power consumption. The software runtime in a niche-based system provides a uniform abstraction and programming model for the non-uniform CEs. The runtime dynamically partitions programs across the CEs and translates them for execution. As a result, niche-based systems can exploit the power and performance advantages of specialized CEs to execute general-purpose computations more efficiently. Furthermore, niche-based systems can address the unintentional non-uniformity that manufacturing defects and device wear-out will cause in advanced process technologies.The PI is proposing exploring the design space for each of the hardware and software components in a Niche-based system and constructing prototype implementations. These components include three key software systems: the Niche runtime system and the translators for generating executable code for a range of CEs, a partially automated system for specifying (and verifying via formal method techniques) the behavior of a CE and generating the required CE-specific translator, and a front-end compiler to generate executables for Niche-based systems. The PI is also constructing a prototype Niche- based hardware system from commercially available hardware.