An evolutionary scheduling approach for trading-off accuracy vs. verifiable energy in multicore processors

This work addresses the problem of energy-efficient scheduling and allocation of tasks in multicore environments, where the tasks can allow a certain loss in accuracy in the output, while still providing proper functionality and meeting an energy budget. This margin for accuracy loss is exploited by using computing techniques that reduce the work load, and thus can also result in significant energy savings. To this end, we use the technique of loop perforation, that transforms loops to execute only a subset of their original iterations, and integrate this technique into our existing optimization tool for energy-efficient scheduling. To verify that a schedule meets an energy budget, both safe upper and lower bounds on the energy consumption of the tasks involved are needed. For this reason, we use a parametric approach to estimate safe (and tight) energy bounds that are practical for energy verification (and optimization applications). This approach consists in dividing a program into basic (?branchless?) blocks, establishing the maximal (resp. minimal) energy consumption for each block using an evolutionary algorithm, and combining the obtained values according to the program control flow, by using static analysis to produce energy bound functions on input data sizes. The scheduling tool uses evolutionary algorithms coupled with the energy bound functions for estimating the energy consumption of different schedules. The experiments with our prototype implementation were performed on multicore XMOS chips, but our approach can be adapted to any multicore environment with minor changes. The experimental results show that our new scheduler enhanced with loop perforation improves on the previous one, achieving significant energy savings (31% on average for the test programs) for acceptable levels of accuracy loss

Inferring Energy Bounds via Static Program Analysis and Evolutionary Modeling of Basic Blocks

The ever increasing number and complexity of energy-bound devices (such as the ones used in Internet of Things applications, smart phones, and mission critical systems) pose an important challenge on techniques to optimize their energy consumption and to verify that they will perform their function within the available energy budget. In this work we address this challenge from the software point of view and propose a novel parametric approach to estimating tight bounds on the energy consumed by program executions that are practical for their application to energy verification and optimization. Our approach divides a program into basic (branchless) blocks and estimates the maximal and minimal energy consumption for each block using an evolutionary algorithm. Then it combines the obtained values according to the program control flow, using static analysis, to infer functions that give both upper and lower bounds on the energy consumption of the whole program and its procedures as functions on input data sizes. We have tested our approach on (C-like) embedded programs running on the XMOS hardware platform. However, our method is general enough to be applied to other microprocessor architectures and programming languages. The bounds obtained by our prototype implementation can be tight while remaining on the safe side of budgets in practice, as shown by our experimental evaluation.Comment: Pre-proceedings paper presented at the 27th International Symposium on Logic-Based Program Synthesis and Transformation (LOPSTR 2017), Namur, Belgium, 10-12 October 2017 (arXiv:1708.07854). Improved version of the one presented at the HIP3ES 2016 workshop (v1): more experimental results (added benchmark to Table 1, added figure for new benchmark, added Table 3), improved Fig. 1, added Fig.

Inferring energy bounds statically by evolutionary analysis of basic blocks

devices, including in some cases mission critical systems, for which there is a need to optimize their energy consumption and verify that they will perform their function within the available energy budget. In this work we propose a novel parametric approach to estimating tight energy bounds (both upper and lower) that are practical for energy verification and optimization applications in embedded systems. Our approach consists in dividing a program into basic (“branchless”) blocks, establishing the maximal (resp. minimal) energy consumption for each block using an evolutionary algorithm, and combining the obtained values according to the program control flow, using static analysis, to produce energy bound functions. Such functions depend on input data sizes, and return upper or lower bounds on the energy consumption of the program for any given set of input values of those sizes, without running the program. The approach has been tested on XMOS chips, but is general enough to be applied to any microprocessor and programming language. Our experimental results show that the bounds obtained by our prototype tool can be tight while remaining on the safe side of budgets in practice

Inferring energy bounds statically by evolutionary analysis of basic blocks

devices, including in some cases mission critical systems, for which there is a need to optimize their energy consumption and verify that they will perform their function within the available energy budget. In this work we propose a novel parametric approach to estimating tight energy bounds (both upper and lower) that are practical for energy verification and optimization applications in embedded systems. Our approach consists in dividing a program into basic (“branchless”) blocks, establishing the maximal (resp. minimal) energy consumption for each block using an evolutionary algorithm, and combining the obtained values according to the program control flow, using static analysis, to produce energy bound functions. Such functions depend on input data sizes, and return upper or lower bounds on the energy consumption of the program for any given set of input values of those sizes, without running the program. The approach has been tested on XMOS chips, but is general enough to be applied to any microprocessor and programming language. Our experimental results show that the bounds obtained by our prototype tool can be tight while remaining on the safe side of budgets in practice