The MPsim simulation tool

Abstract

In order to evaluate novel ideas, computer architects require simulation tools which model a target architecture. According to the specific accuracy requirements we find very specific simulators, which model a single architecture with high accuracy and computational cost, like the ones typically used in the industry, and general purpose simulators with a less accurate model but requiring less computational cost, like the ones typically used in the academia. Focusing on the latter, flexible simulation tools allow evaluating a wide range of system configuration, requiring low effort to evaluate novel ideas. Consequently, the flexibility is a main characteristic to be considered by computer architects when selecting a general-purpose simulation tool. In this paper it is presented a highly-flexible general-purpose simulation tool : the MPsim. It allows simulating a wide range of processor types, both single core (Superscalar, SMT) and multi core (CMP, CMP+SMT), both homogeneous and heterogeneous configurations. It is put special emphasis on the simulator flexibility and how it is obtained. The simulation results included indicate that highflexibility may be obtained without hardly compromising the computational cost in a general purpose simulator