Abstract
In this paper we propose the use of an optical network not only as the communication medium, but also as a system-wide cache for the shared data in a multiprocessor. More specifically, the basic idea of our novel network/cache hybrid (and associated coherence protocol), called NetCache, is to use an optical ring network on which some amount of recently-accessed shared data is continually sent around. These data are organized as a cache shared by all processors. We use detailed execution-driven simulations of a dozen applications to evaluate a multiprocessor based on our NetCache architecture. We compare a 16-node multiprocessor with a third-level NetCache against two highly-efficient systems based on the DMON and LambdaNet optical interconnects. Our results demonstrate that the NetCache multiprocessor outperforms the DMON and LambdaNet systems by as much as 99 and 79%, respectively. Based on these results, our main conclusion is that the NetCache is highly efficient for most applications.
This research was supported by Brazilian CNPq.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
E. V. Carrera and R. Bianchini. OPTNET: A Cost-Effective Optical Network for Multiprocessors. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Supercomputing ’98, July 1998.
E. V. Carrera and R. Bianchini. Designing and Evaluating a Cost-Effective Optical Network for Multiprocessors. November 1998. Submitted for publication.
P. W. Dowd and J. Chu. Photonic Architectures for Distributed Shared Memory Multiprocessors. In Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Massively Parallel Processing using Optical Interconnections, pages 151–161, April 1994.
K. Gharachorloo, D. Lenoski, J. Laudon, P. Gibbons, A. Gupta, and J. L. Hennessy. Memory Consistency and Event Ordering in Scalable Shared-Memory Multiprocessors. In Proceedings of the 17th Annual International Symposium on Computer Architecture, pages 15–26, May 1990.
K. Ghose, R. K. Horsell, and N. Singhvi. Hybrid Multiprocessing in OPTIMUL: A Multiprocessor for Distributed and Shared Memory Multiprocessing with WDM Optical Fiber Interconnections. In Proceedings of the 1994 International Conference on Parallel Processing, August 1994.
M. S. Goodman et al. The LAMBDANET Multiwavelength Network: Architecture, Applications, and Demonstrations. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, 8(6):995–1004, August 1990.
J.-H. Ha, and T. M. Pinkston. SPEED DMON: Cache Coherence on an Optical Multichannel Interconnect Architecture. Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing, 41(1):78–91, 1997.
H. F. Jordan, V. P. Heuring, and R. J. Feuerstein. Optoelectronic Time-of-Flight Design and the Demonstration of an All-Optical, Stored Program. Proceedings of IEEE. Special issue on Optical Computing, 82(11), November 1994.
R. Langenhorst et al. Fiber Loop Optical Buffer. Journal of Lightwave Technology, 14(3):324–335, March 1996.
A. G. Nowatzyk and P. R. Prucnal. Are Crossbars Really Dead? The Case for Optical Multiprocessor Interconnect Systems. In Proceedings of the 22nd International Symposium on Computer Architecture, pages 106–115, June 1995.
D. B. Sarrazin, H. F. Jordan, and V. P. Heuring. Fiber Optic Delay Line Memory. Applied Optics, 29(5):627–637, February 1990.
J. E. Veenstra and R. J. Fowler. MINT: A Front End for Efficient Simulation of Shared-Memory Multiprocessors. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Modeling. Analysis and Simulation of Computer and Telecommunication Systems (MASCOTS’94), January 1994.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Springer-Verlag
About this paper
Cite this paper
Carrera, E.V., Bianchini, R. (1999). NetCache: A network/cache hybrid for multiprocessors. In: Rolim, J., et al. Parallel and Distributed Processing. IPPS 1999. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1586. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg . https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0097972
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0097972
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-65831-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-48932-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive