CSR: Small: Collaborative Research: Efficient Exploitation of Heterogeneous Memory through OS/Compiler Support

College Of William And Mary, Williamsburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

Memory is a key component of computers. Modern parallel architectures begin to employ heterogeneous memory to improve both latency and bandwidth of the memory subsystem. Typically, a heterogeneous memory system consists of a fast and a slow component and requires explicit software management. It puts unique burdens on programmers and compilers, especially in the domains of high-performance computing (HPC) and big data analytics. These challenges are crucial to the evolution of computer systems and therefore are key to future scientific discovery, economic prosperity, and national security. To address these challenges in exploiting heterogeneous memory, this project targets co-designing the compiler and the operating system (OS): it explores i) a new compiler design that supports heterogeneity-aware data management and ii) new OS facilities for efficient data move and fair memory sharing. Overall, this project serves as a stepping stone towards a long-term vision -- taming emerging heterogeneous hardware by tightly integrating programming and OS support.