Compiler-Driven Reconfiguration of Multiprocessors

Hussmann M, Thies M, Kastens U, Purnaprajna M, Porrmann M, Rückert U. Compiler-Driven Reconfiguration of Multiprocessors. In: Proceedings of the Workshop on Application Specific Processors (WASP) 2007. 2007.Multiprocessors enable parallel execution of a single large application to achieve a performance improvement. An application is split at instruction, data or task level (based on the granularity), such that the overhead of partitioning is minimal. Parallelization for multiprocessors is mostly restricted to a fixed granularity. Reconfiguration enables architectural variations to allow multiple granularities of operation within a multiprocessor. This adaptability optimizes resource utilization over a fixed organization. Here, a unified hardware-software approach to design a reconfigurable multiprocessor system called QuadroCore is presented. In our holistic methodology, compiler-driven reconfiguration selects from a fixed set of modes. Each mode relies on matching program analysis to exploit the architecture efficiently. For instance, a multiprocessor may adapt to different parallelization paradigms. The compiler can determine the best execution mode for each piece of code by analyzing the parallelism in a program. A fast, singlecycle, run-time reconfiguration between these predetermined modes is enabled by executing special instructions which switch coarse-grained components like instruction decoders, ALUs and register banks. Performance is evaluated in terms of execution cycles and achieved clock frequency. First results indicate suitability especially in audio and video processing applications

Component-based programming for higher-order attribute grammars

This paper presents techniques for a component-based style of programming in the context of higher-oder attribute grammars (HAG). Attribute grammar components are "plugged in" into larger attribute grammar systems through higher-order attribute grammars. Higher-order attributes are used as (intermediate) "gluing" data structures.This paper also presents two attribute grammar components that can be re-used across different language-based tool specifications: a visualizer and animator of programs and a graphical user interface AG component. Both components are reused in the definition of a simple language processor. The techniques presented in this paper are implemented in LRC: a purely functional, higher-order attribute grammar-based system that generates language-based tools.(undefined

Virtual Machine Support for Many-Core Architectures: Decoupling Abstract from Concrete Concurrency Models

The upcoming many-core architectures require software developers to exploit concurrency to utilize available computational power. Today's high-level language virtual machines (VMs), which are a cornerstone of software development, do not provide sufficient abstraction for concurrency concepts. We analyze concrete and abstract concurrency models and identify the challenges they impose for VMs. To provide sufficient concurrency support in VMs, we propose to integrate concurrency operations into VM instruction sets. Since there will always be VMs optimized for special purposes, our goal is to develop a methodology to design instruction sets with concurrency support. Therefore, we also propose a list of trade-offs that have to be investigated to advise the design of such instruction sets. As a first experiment, we implemented one instruction set extension for shared memory and one for non-shared memory concurrency. From our experimental results, we derived a list of requirements for a full-grown experimental environment for further research

Construction of Application Generators Using Eli

Application generators are a powerful means for reuse of software design. They produce special purpose programs from domain specific descriptions. An application generator can be understood as a translator for a domain specific description language. The Eli system is an integrated toolset for language implementation. It automates a wide range of language implementation tasks, and it provides numerous reusable solutions of common subtasks. The system is designed to be also applicable by non-specialists in compiler construction. In this paper we show how the Eli system supports the construction of application generators. 1 Introduction Application generators are software systems that generate programs for different instances of a problem in a specialized application domain. Typical examples are programs that produce reports of data extracted from a data base. Such a program can be systematically constructed from information describing the data base and the desired layout. Many different..