This document, "The Memory System," authored by Bruce Jacob and published by Morgan & Claypool Publishers in 2009, serves as a foundational text for computer scientists and computer engineers. It delves into the critical aspects of memory systems, a primary bottleneck in modern computing. The material is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of memory system operation, enabling readers to create more performant algorithms and design systems that approach optimal efficiency within given resource constraints. Its focus on computer-system optimization at both hardware and software levels highlights the importance of addressing memory system weaknesses directly, rather than solely relying on CPU advancements to tolerate slower memory.
This manual is intended to equip professionals in industry and academia with the knowledge necessary to improve system performance. It covers essential topics, including primers on memory system modeling, the dynamic nature of memory systems, and the ongoing research trends aimed at enhancing CPU tolerance for memory limitations. By providing insights into the intricate details of memory architecture and operation, this resource aims to foster better algorithm creation and system design, ultimately leading to more robust and efficient computing solutions.
Today, computer-system optimization, at both the hardware and software levels, must consider the details of the memory system in its analysis; failing to do so yields systems that are increasingly inefficient as those systems become more complex. This lecture seeks to introduce the reader to the most important details of the memory system; it targets both computer scientists and computer engineers in industry and in academia. Roughly speaking, computer scientists are the users of the memory system and computer engineers are the designers of the memory system. Both can benefit tremendously from a basic understanding of how the memory system really works: the computer scientist will be better equipped to create algorithms that perform well and the computer engineer will be better equipped to design systems that approach the optimal, given the resource limitations. Currently, there is consensus among architecture researchers that the memory system is "the bottleneck," and this consensus has held for over a decade. Somewhat inexplicably, most of the research in the field is still directed toward improving the CPU to better tolerate a slow memory system, as opposed to addressing the weaknesses of the memory system directly. This lecture should get the bulk of the computer science and computer engineering population up the steep part of the learning curve. Not every CS/CE researcher/developer needs to do work in the memory system, but, just as a carpenter can do his job more efficiently if he knows a little of architecture, and an architect can do his job more efficiently if he knows a little of carpentry, giving the CS/CE worlds better intuition about the memory system should help them build better systems, both software and hardware. Table of Contents: Primers / It Must Be Modeled Accurately / ... and It Will Change Soon
Author: Jacob, Bruce
Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers
Illustration: n
Language: ENG
Title: The Memory System
Pages: 00000 (Encrypted PDF)
On Sale: 2009-07-08
SKU-13/ISBN: 9781598295870
Category: Technology & Engineering : General
Category: Computers : System Administration - Storage & Retrieval
Category: Computers : Systems Architecture - General
Today, computer-system optimization, at both the hardware and software levels, must consider the details of the memory system in its analysis; failing to do so yields systems that are increasingly inefficient as those systems become more complex. This lecture seeks to introduce the reader to the most important details of the memory system; it targets both computer scientists and computer engineers in industry and in academia. Roughly speaking, computer scientists are the users of the memory system and computer engineers are the designers of the memory system. Both can benefit tremendously from a basic understanding of how the memory system really works: the computer scientist will be better equipped to create algorithms that perform well and the computer engineer will be better equipped to design systems that approach the optimal, given the resource limitations. Currently, there is consensus among architecture researchers that the memory system is "the bottleneck," and this consensus has held for over a decade. Somewhat inexplicably, most of the research in the field is still directed toward improving the CPU to better tolerate a slow memory system, as opposed to addressing the weaknesses of the memory system directly. This lecture should get the bulk of the computer science and computer engineering population up the steep part of the learning curve. Not every CS/CE researcher/developer needs to do work in the memory system, but, just as a carpenter can do his job more efficiently if he knows a little of architecture, and an architect can do his job more efficiently if he knows a little of carpentry, giving the CS/CE worlds better intuition about the memory system should help them build better systems, both software and hardware. Table of Contents: Primers / It Must Be Modeled Accurately / ... and It Will Change Soon
Author: Jacob, Bruce
Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers
Illustration: n
Language: ENG
Title: The Memory System
Pages: 00000 (Encrypted PDF)
On Sale: 2009-07-08
SKU-13/ISBN: 9781598295870
Category: Technology & Engineering : General
Category: Computers : System Administration - Storage & Retrieval
Category: Computers : Systems Architecture - General
