Evaluating Novel Memory System Alternatives for Speculative Multithreaded Computer Systems [chapter]

A. J. KleinOsowski, David J. Lilja
2004 High Performance Memory Systems  
This work models and evaluates a new cache structure for scalable multithreaded computer systems. Multithreaded architectures which support the speculative execution of multiple concurrent threads of execution require a special speculative memory buffer to detect and potentially correct dependences at runtime. The main question being addressed in this study is whether this speculative memory buffer should be merged with a nonspeculative cache, or kept separate. As a related question, we also
more » ... luate whether the traditional cache structure should be private to each processing element, or whether the cache should be shared among all processing elements. Our results and cost− for−performance analysis show that, on average, the novel hybrid level−1 data cache (which merges a distributed level−1 data cache with the speculative memory buffer) has a 13 percent slowdown as compared to an ideal shared level−1 cache with separate speculative memory buffers. The distributed level− 1 cache with separate speculative memory buffer showed, on average, a 4 percent speedup compared to an ideal shared level−1 cache with separate speculative memory buffers. 2
doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-8987-1_16 fatcat:z4uk3labgbdbrhoxk3t3h75ngq