Performance evaluation of highly concurrent computers by deterministic simulation

ABSTRACT

Simulation is presented as a practical technique for performance evaluation of alternative configurations of highly concurrent computers. A technique is described for constructing a detailed deterministic simulation model of a system. In the model a control stream replaces the instruction and data streams of the real system. Simulation of the system model yields the timing and resource usage statistics needed for performance evaluation, without the necessity of emulating the system. As a case study, the implementation of a simulator of a model of the CPU-memory subsystem of the IBM 360/91 is described. The results of evaluating some alternative system designs are discussed. The experiments reveal that, for the case study, the major bottlenecks in the system are the memory unit and the fixed point unit. Further, it appears that many of the sophisticated pipelining and buffering techniques implemented in the architecture of the IBM 360/91 are of little value when high-speed (cache) memory is used, as in the IBM 360/195.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  F. Theory of Computation
  F.1 COMPUTATION BY ABSTRACT DEVICES
      F.1.2 Modes of Computation
          Subjects: Parallelism and concurrency

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.2 Installation Management
          Subjects: Performance and usage measurement

General Terms:
Design, Measurement, Performance, Theory

Keywords:
concurrent computers, control stream, deterministic simulation, performance evaluation