Cache-Aware Virtual Page Management

CPU caching;memory layout;Computer Science

Szlavik, Alexander

University of Waterloo

关键词: CPU caching;    memory layout;    Computer Science;   

Others  :  https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/7364/1/Szlavik_Alexander.pdf

瑞士|英语

来源: UWSPACE Waterloo Institutional Repository

【 摘 要 】

With contemporary research focusing its attention primarily on benchmark-driven performance evaluation, studying fundamental memory characteristics has gone by the way-side.This thesis presents a systematic study of the expected performance characteristics for contemporary multi-core CPUs.These characteristics are the primary influence on benchmarking variability and need to be quantified if more accurate benchmark results are desired.With the aid of a new, highly customizable, micro-benchmark suite, these CPU-specific attributes are evaluated and contrasted.The benchmark tool provides the framework for accurately measuring instruction throughput and integrates hardware performance counters to gain insight into machine-level caching performance.Additionally, the Linux operating system;;s impact on cache utilization is evaluated.With careful virtual memory management, cache-misses may be reduced, significantly contributing to benchmark result stability.Finally, a popular cache performance model, stack distance profile, is evaluated with respect to contemporary CPU architectures.While particularly popular in multi-core contention-aware scheduling projects, modern incarnations of the model fail to account for trends in CPU cache hardware, leading to measurable degrees of inaccuracy.