Composable Heterogeneous Computing Systems

可组合异构计算系统

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-04151
• 负责人: Shannon, Lesley
• 金额: $ 2.84万
• 依托单位: Simon Fraser University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=741972
• 关键词: Composable; Heterogeneous; Computing; Systems

As computers become more powerful, revolutionary technologies (eg Video-calling, Artificial Intelligence) are realized. However, the increased computing capacity needed to enable new disruptive technologies (eg accurate weather, genomics and materials science modelling) is not attainable using general-purpose processors due to energy constraints. Instead, heterogeneous Domain-Specific Architectures (DSAs) can provide the needed high-performance computing; but the design space is huge and complex, especially as chip fabrication technologies are moving from 2D planar designs to emerging 3D die-stacking solutions. We propose to develop an open-source, extensible, flexible experimental framework for heterogeneous systems that will allow designers to evaluate and reason about new compute architectures, runtime services and programming models. No such framework exists today, but it is essential for researchers to harness the full potential of DSAs implemented on modern technologies. Motivated by emerging applications, this program lies at the intersection of novel compilation technologies and advanced computing platforms enabled by modern fabrication technology. The proposed heterogeneous compute framework for multi-application workloads is a key first step to enable the design of these complex heterogeneous systems and provide the necessary abstractions to make them programmable by non-experts. It requires 3 components: a compilation flow, runtime support, and hardware model(s). The compilation flow needs to identify multiple mappings for individual tasks to improve runtime sharing of computing resources (CRs). When the Heterogeneous Compute Platform (HCP) includes reconfigurable hardware (e.g. an FPGA), it also needs to identify potential custom instructions and Hardware Accelerators and how they might be used and shared to improve performance and energy consumption across the application workload. Runtime services (eg an OS) are needed to schedule tasks and exploit workload CR sharing at runtime. Finally, the HCP's design complexity makes it extremely difficult to validate correctness experimentally. Hardware models that can be used to guarantee correctness of both the hardware platform and the software it executes are crucial to ensure correct operations and the validity of research results. These three components present numerous questions and challenges and form the foundation to collectively realize this DG's objective in the next five years. Combined with Dr. Shannon's pattern and process of mentoring and sponsoring her students into their future careers while ensuring and equitable, diverse and inclusive training environment, this program with the resulting framework will result in HQP with a combination of software and hardware skills that will be valuable to companies that develop next-generation compute systems and in application areas that require high-end compute solutions (e.g. biomedical and environmental technologies, defense, etc.).

随着计算机变得越来越强大，革命性的技术（例如视频通话、人工智能）得以实现。然而，由于能源限制，使用通用处理器无法实现新的颠覆性技术（例如准确的天气、基因组学和材料科学建模）所需的增加的计算能力。相反，异构领域特定架构（DSA）可以提供所需的高性能计算；但设计空间巨大且复杂，特别是当芯片制造技术正在从 2D 平面设计转向新兴的 3D 芯片堆叠解决方案时。我们建议为异构系统开发一个开源、可扩展、灵活的实验框架，使设计人员能够评估和推理新的计算架构、运行时服务和编程模型。目前尚不存在这样的框架，但研究人员必须充分利用在现代技术上实施的 DSA 的潜力。在新兴应用的推动下，该计划处于新颖编译技术与现代制造技术支持的先进计算平台的交叉点。所提出的用于多应用程序工作负载的异构计算框架是实现这些复杂异构系统设计并提供必要的抽象以使其可由非专家编程的关键的第一步。它需要 3 个组件：编译流程、运行时支持和硬件模型。编译流程需要识别各个任务的多个映射，以改善计算资源 (CR) 的运行时共享。当异构计算平台 (HCP) 包含可重新配置的硬件（例如 FPGA）时，它还需要识别潜在的自定义指令和硬件加速器，以及如何使用和共享它们，以提高整个应用程序工作负载的性能和能耗。需要运行时服务（例如操作系统）来调度任务并在运行时利用工作负载 CR 共享。最后，HCP 的设计复杂性使得通过实验验证正确性变得极其困难。可用于保证硬件平台及其执行软件的正确性的硬件模型对于确保正确运行和研究结果的有效性至关重要。这三个组成部分提出了许多问题和挑战，并构成了未来五年共同实现总干事目标的基础。结合 Shannon 博士指导和资助学生未来职业生涯的模式和流程，同时确保公平、多样化和包容性的培训环境，该计划以及由此产生的框架将导致 HQP 结合软件和硬件技能，对于开发下一代计算系统的公司以及需要高端计算解决方案的应用领域（例如生物医学和环境技术、国防等）很有价值。