Computer Architecture Simulation & Visualisation
Simulation Modelling of Distributed Shared Memory Clusters
Project Overview
Advances in scalable, distributed shared memory (DSM) systems continue
to create an increased need for bandwidth of shared memory accesses. A
number of research projects on large-scale DSM implementations have
shown that bandwidth loss due to data locality is significant. As DSM
systems provide a shared address space on top of distributed memory,
memory management activities at different system layers impact data
locality. Techniques such as hidden pages, manager migration,
prefetching, and double faulting have been shown to improve overall
performance by exploiting locality at memory page level. However,
research on large-scale DSM systems has also shown that the portability of
optimisation schemes is limited, and an efficient technique to analyse
the impact of overheads caused by layered activities is
unavailable. Therefore, advancing the development of a cost-effective
direction requires a precise performance analysis and prediction
technique. This project aims to develop an appropriate analysis
technique by simulating the behaviour of DSM systems and to study the
factors which affect performance and their interactions. A
synchronised, discrete event simulation model of DSM nodes has been
developed using the construction environment provided by HASE.
This research was undertaken as her PhD project by Worawan
Marurngsith.
Publications
- "Specification-based Verification in a Distributed Shared Memory
Simulation Model", W. Marurngsith and R.N. Ibbett, SIMULATION, Vol.
86, No. 4, pp 229-245, 2010.
- "dsimcluster: A Simulation Model for Efficient Memory
Analysis Experiments of DSM Clusters", W. Marurngsith and R.N. Ibbett,
SIMULATION, Vol.
85, No. 6, pp 355-374, 2009.
- Worawan Marurngsith & Roland N. Ibbett, "Specification-Based
Parameter-Model Interaction: Towards a Correct Reflection of Memory
Characteristics in a DSM Cluster Simulation", Proc SCSC 2005, pp
18-25, 2005.
- Worawan Marurngsith & Roland N. Ibbett, "DSIMCluster:
A Simulation Model for Efficient Memory Analysis Experiments of DSM
Clusters", Proc SCSC 2004, pp 191-197 (winner of SCSC 2004 Best Paper
Award), 2004.
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Institute for Computing Systems Architecture, School of Informatics,
University of Edinburgh
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