Embedding Compute within NoC Channels

现代计算机将许多CPU连接到共享RAM，允许它们合作处理数据。共享RAM带宽现在是一个巨大的瓶颈，尽管增加了缓存和更宽的数据路径。分布式系统通过网络连接多核CPU，但引入了新的数据包传输开销。POETS是最近完成的EPSRC计划资助，该计划使用紧密耦合的消息传递和计算，从事件的角度重新思考计算。已经开发了许多应用程序，其中使用POETS方法，沿着称为Tinsel的定制硬件结构。POETS的研究正在进行中，剩下的一些挑战是：1）如何使用现成的计算硬件来使结果更容易获得，2）如何将处理更紧密地集成到网络中？该项目建立在大型POETS研究基础上，并探索如何将处理直接嵌入到片上网络中。其核心思想是，当一个处理器向另一个处理器发送消息时，消息可以在传输过程中进行转换。这样的系统将网络变成一个活跃的计算设备，而不仅仅是一个数据移动层。需要解决的挑战包括：我们如何选择将哪些功能嵌入到网络中？我们如何证明增强的网络仍然执行相同的功能？我们如何平衡智能网络IP与更多处理器之间的资源利用率？这项研究利用了ENNUI，这是一个尖端的25万英镑的硬件平台，用于探索POETS启发的架构。该研究与HPC用户和提供商（如ARM）保持一致，最终影响是降低功耗并提高大规模计算的可持续性。

Contemporary computers connect many CPUs to a shared RAM, allowing them to co-operatively process the data. Shared RAM bandwidth is now a huge bottleneck, despite the addition of caches and wider data-paths. Distributed systems connect multi-core CPUs over networks but introduce new packet-batching overheads.POETS is a recently finished EPSRC programme grant which re-thinks computing in terms of events, using tightly coupled messaging and computation. Many applications have been developed which used the POETS methodology, along with a bespoke hardware fabric called Tinsel. POETS research is ongoing, and some remaining challenges are: 1) how can off-the-shelf compute hardware be used to make the results more accessible, and 2) how can processing be more tightly integrated into the network?This project builds on the large POETS research base and explores how to embed processing directly into a Network-on-Chip. The core idea is that when a processor sends a message to another processor the message can be transformed in transit. Such a system turns the network into an active computational device, rather than just a data movement layer. Challenges to solve include: how do we choose which functions to embed in the network? How do we prove the augmented network still performs the same function? How do we balance resource utilisation between smart network IP vs more processors? This research leverages ENNUI, a cutting-edge £250K hardware platform for exploring POETS-inspired architectures. The research aligns with HPC users and providers (such as ARM), with the ultimate impact being that it reduces power consumption and improves sustainability for large-scale compute.