Abstract

hen Digital started to design the Alpha AXP architecture in the fall of 1988, the Alpha AXP team was concerned with running existing VAX TM code and MIPS TM code on the new Alpha AXP computers [5, 6]. To get full performance on a new computer architecture, an application must be ported by rebuilding, using native compilers. For a single program written in a standard programming language, this is a matter of recompile and run. A complex software application can be built, however, from hundreds of source pieces using dozens of tools. A native port of such an application is only possible when all parts of the build path are running on the new architecture. Therefore, having a way to run an existing (old architecture) binary version of a complex application on a new architecture is an important interim measure. It allows a user to get applications up and running immediately, with minimal porting effort. Once a user's everyday environment is established, applications can be rebuilt over time, using native code or partially native and partially old code. Several techniques are used in the industry to run the binary code of an old architecture on a new architecture. Figure 1 shows four common techniques, from slowest to fastest: • Software interpreter (e.g., Insignia

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