Simultaneous Multithreading: Maximizing On-Chip Parallelism

DMCA

Simultaneous Multithreading: Maximizing On-Chip Parallelism (1995)

Cached

Download Links

by Dean M. Tullsen , Susan J. Eggers , Henry M. Levy

Citations:

823 - 48 self

BibTeX

@MISC{Tullsen95simultaneousmultithreading:,
    author = {Dean M. Tullsen and Susan J. Eggers and Henry M. Levy},
    title = { Simultaneous Multithreading: Maximizing On-Chip Parallelism},
    year = {1995}
}

OpenURL

Abstract

This paper examines simultaneous multithreading, a technique permitting several independent threads to issue instructions to a superscalar’s multiple functional units in a single cycle. We present several models of simultaneous multithreading and compare them with alternative organizations: a wide superscalar, a fine-grain multithreaded processor, and single-chip, multiple-issue multiprocessing architectures. Our results show that both (single-threaded) superscalar and fine-grain multithreaded architectures are limited in their ability to utilize the resources of a wide-issue processor. Simultaneous multithreading has the potential to achieve 4 times the throughput of a superscalar, and double that of fine-grain multithreading. We evaluate several cache configurations made possible by this type of organization and evaluate tradeoffs between them. We also show that simultaneous multithreading is an attractive alternative to single-chip multiprocessors; simultaneous multithreaded processors with a variety of organizations outperform corresponding conventional multiprocessors with similar execution resources. While simultaneous multithreading has excellent potential to increase processor utilization, it can add substantial complexity to the design. We examine many of these complexities and evaluate alternative organizations in the design space.

Keyphrases

simultaneous multithreading on-chip parallelism alternative organization wide superscalar attractive alternative single-chip multiprocessor fine-grain multithreading excellent potential substantial complexity single cycle present several model conventional multiprocessor several independent thread processor utilization multiple-issue multiprocessing architecture wide-issue processor design space similar execution resource several cache configuration fine-grain multithreaded architecture superscalar multiple functional unit

DMCA