The Value of a Small Microkernel for Dreamy Memory and the RAMpage Memory Hierarchy  

作　　者：Philip Machanick 

机构地区：[1]School of ITEE, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia

出　　处：《Journal of Computer Science & Technology》2005年第5期586-595,共10页计算机科学技术学报（英文版）

基　　金：昆士兰州大学校科研和教改项目

摘　　要：This paper explores potential for the RAMpage memory hierarchy to use a microkernel with a small memory footprint, in a specialized cache-speed static RAM （tightly-coupled memory, TCM）. Dreamy memory is DRAM kept in low-power mode, unless referenced. Simulations show that a small microkernel suits RAMpage well, in that it achieves significantly better speed and energy gains than a standard hierarchy from adding TCM. RAMpage, in its best 128KB L2 case, gained 11% speed using TCM, and reduced energy 14%. Equivalent conventional hierarchy gains were under 1%. While 1MB L2 was significantly faster against lower-energy cases for the smaller L2, the larger SRAM＇s energy does not justify the speed gain. Using a 128KB L2 cache in a conventional architecture resulted in a best-case overall run time of 2.58s, compared with the best dreamy mode run time （RAMpage without context switches on misses） of 3.34s, a speed penalty of 29%. Energy in the fastest 128KB L2 case was 2.18J vs. 1.50J, a reduction of 31%. The same RAMpage configuration without dreamy mode took 2.83s as simulated, and used 2.393, an acceptable trade-off （penalty under 10%） for being able to switch easily to a lower-energy mode.This paper explores potential for the RAMpage memory hierarchy to use a microkernel with a small memory footprint, in a specialized cache-speed static RAM （tightly-coupled memory, TCM）. Dreamy memory is DRAM kept in low-power mode, unless referenced. Simulations show that a small microkernel suits RAMpage well, in that it achieves significantly better speed and energy gains than a standard hierarchy from adding TCM. RAMpage, in its best 128KB L2 case, gained 11% speed using TCM, and reduced energy 14%. Equivalent conventional hierarchy gains were under 1%. While 1MB L2 was significantly faster against lower-energy cases for the smaller L2, the larger SRAM＇s energy does not justify the speed gain. Using a 128KB L2 cache in a conventional architecture resulted in a best-case overall run time of 2.58s, compared with the best dreamy mode run time （RAMpage without context switches on misses） of 3.34s, a speed penalty of 29%. Energy in the fastest 128KB L2 case was 2.18J vs. 1.50J, a reduction of 31%. The same RAMpage configuration without dreamy mode took 2.83s as simulated, and used 2.393, an acceptable trade-off （penalty under 10%） for being able to switch easily to a lower-energy mode.

关 键 词：low-power design main memory virtual memory cache memories microkernels 

分 类 号：TP368[自动化与计算机技术—计算机系统结构]