CSR-PSCE, SM: Exploring Helper Computing Parallelism in Multicore Architectures

当前计算架构和编程的趋势支持拟议项目的基本原理。一个趋势是软件的复杂性在源代码行数和层数（管理程序、客户操作系统、库、虚拟机、应用程序等）方面都在增加。这种复杂性的增加可能使软件在未来更容易受到错误和安全攻击。另一个趋势是通过芯片多处理器（CMP）架构在主流微处理器中增加对线程级并行性的支持。每个芯片有4个和8个处理器核心，或者已经实现，或者正在主要芯片制造商的未来路线图中。目前，大多数具有自然线程级并行性的应用程序（服务器和科学计算工作负载）都可以从中受益。不断增加的可靠性和安全性要求支持常见应用程序的并行性机会，并且可以通过辅助计算有效地利用这种并行性。本项目将通过以下几个方面来解决这些问题：探索帮助计算在加速软件可靠性和安全性元功能方面的潜力，并进行系统的、跨层次的元功能设计、提取、优化和动态适应研究，以实现主应用程序的低开销执行;探索一个原型系统，其中包括编译器，库，运行时系统，操作系统的支持，并可能硬件支持。对这种支持的探索将是全面的，即通过考虑在当前系统中解决方案的可行性、通用性和性能要求方面产生最佳权衡的实施层。这个原型系统将向公众开放。该团队还建议创建一个以辅助计算为重点的高级课程，并将其基本元素融入现有的硬件和软件课程。这些课程将以协同的方式整合编程语言，编译器，操作系统，运行时系统和硬件，帮助培训未来的劳动力，在这些领域拥有独特的综合专业知识。

Current trends in computing architectures and programming support the rationales for the proposed project. One trend is the increasing complexity of software both in terms of the number of lines of source code, and number of layers (hypervisor, guest OS, libraries, virtual machines, applications, etc.). This increase in complexity could make software even more vulnerable to bugs and security attacks in the future. Another trend is the increasing support for thread-level parallelism in mainstream microprocessors through chip multi-processor (CMP) architectures. Four and eight processor cores per chip have either been realized or are in the future roadmap of major chipmakers. Currently, mostly applications with natural thread-level parallelism (server and scientific computing workloads) can benefit from them. Increasing reliability and security requirements support parallelism opportunities for common applications, and such parallelism may effectively be exploited through helper computing. This project will address these issues by engaging in the following: exploring helper-computing's potentials for speeding up software reliability and security meta-functions with scenario-guided studies; a systematic, cross-layered study of efficient Meta-function Design, Extraction, Optimization, and Dynamic Adaptation to achieve low overhead execution in the main application; exploration of a prototype system which includes compiler, libraries, run-time system, OS support, and possibly hardware support. The exploration for such support will be holistic, i.e. by considering implementation layers that produce the best trade-offs in the feasibility of the solution in current systems, generality, and performance requirements. This prototype system will be made available to the public.This team also proposes to create an advanced course that focuses on helper computing, and integrate its basic elements into existing hardware and software courses. Such courses would integrate programming language, compiler, OS, runtime system, and hardware in a synergistic way, helping to train future workforce with unique and integrated expertise in these areas.