The structural simulation toolkit: exploring novel architectures

ABSTRACT

Exploring novel computer system designs requires modeling the complex interactions between processor, memory, and network. The Structural Simulation Toolkit (SST) has been developed to explore innovations in both the programming models and hardware implementation of highly concurrent systems. The Toolkit's modular design allows extensive exploration of system parameters while maximizing code reuse and provides an explicit separation of instruction interpretation from microarchitectural timing. This is built upon a high performance hybrid discrete event framework. The SST has modeled a variety of systems, from processor-in-memory to CMP and MPP. It has examined a variety of hardware and software issues in the context of HPC.This poster presents an overview of the SST. Several of its models for processors, memory systems, and networks will be detailed. Its software stack, including support for MPI and OpenMP, will also be covered. Performance results and current directions for the SST will also be shown.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.0 GENERAL

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.4 PERFORMANCE OF SYSTEMS

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING
      I.6.7 Simulation Support Systems

General Terms:
Design, Performance