CS 5431

Advanced Computer Architecture

Spring 2012

Topics

1. Available Parallelism and Parallel Architectures

Functional Parallelism
Course grain parallelism
Fine grain parallelism

Data Parallelism
Flynn's classification
Review of data and function parallel architectures.
Exploiting Parallelism using replication
Exploiting Parallelism through pipelining.

2. Fundamental Issues in Parallel Processing

Synchronization
Communication
Data dependencies and their relation to fundamental issues
Limits of data dependencies
Limits of control dependencies

3. Exploiting Fine Grain Parallelism

VLIW and EPIC Architectures
Microprogramming
VLIW and Compiling for VLIW Architectures
EPIC architecture

Superscalar Architectures
Processor states

Parallel Decoding

Parallel instruction issue
Shelving and dataflow
Alternative solutions to shelving

Parallel instruction execution

Preserving sequential consistency and exception behavior
Reorder buffer
Future file
Checkpoint recovery
Renaming and its interaction with state management

The fetch problem
Prediction and its limits
Predication and its limits

Memory dataflow
Speculation of dependencies through memory

Multi-Threading
Von-Neumann approaches to multi-threading
Dataflow approaches to multi-threading

4. Exploiting Coarse Grain Parallelism

Reference books :

1. Advanced Computer Architectures
A Design Space Approach
Dezso Sima, Terence Fountain and Peter Kacsuk
2. Superscalar Processors 
Mike Johnson

3.Processor Architecture From Dataflow to Superscalar and Beyond
  Kurij Silc
  Borut Robic
  Theo Ungerer

4. MODERN PROCESSOR DESIGN:
Fundamentals of Superscalar Processors, 
John Shen & Mikko Lipasti

Grading

Term paper 30 % 
Presentation 20 %
Midterm 1 25 % 
Midterm 2 25 % 

The final grade will be calculated using a sliding scale using the percentages above.

Collaboration Policy: 

You are NOT allowed to work in groups. 

Exam policy:
I trust you will always work on your own during the exams. If you happen to study for the exam together 
with other people, make sure that you sit at the opposite corners of the classroom during the exam.