Tools for computer architecture research

ABSTRACT

Simulators are critical tools for computer architecture research and education. They are invaluable when evaluating hardware designs and enhancements, that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive to prototype in practice. Simulators can be useful vehicles for verifying the validity of initial designs, understanding their cost-benefit trade-offs, whether or not a more expensive and time-consuming hardware prototyping effort is undertaken. In addition to being the sole vehicle for conducting an investigation in different research organizations, simulators are extensively used in industry for validating new ideas before justifying further investments on those ideas. Further, simulators can also serve as excellent platforms for teaching difficult concepts in hardware and compilers, by allowing students hands-on access to hardware and software internals that may not be accessible otherwise.