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Trace-Driven Memory Simulation: A Survey

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Book cover Performance Evaluation: Origins and Directions

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1769))

Abstract

It is well known that the increasing gap between processor and main-memory speeds is one of the primary bottlenecks to good overall computer-system performance. The traditional solution to this problem is to build small, fast memories (caches) to hold recently-used data and instructions close to the processor for quicker access [64]. During the past decade, microprocessor clock rates have increased at a rate of 40% per year, while main-memory (DRAM) speeds have increased at a rate of only about 11% per year [76]. This trend has made modern computer systems increasingly dependent on caches. A case in point: disabling the cache of the VAX 11/780, a machine introduced in the late 1970’s, would have increased its workload run times by a factor of only 1.6 [32], while disabling the cache of the HP 9000/735, a more recent machine introduced in the early 1990’s, would cause workloads to slow by a factor of 15 [76].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intel Microcomputer Research Lab (MRL), Hillsboro, Oregon

    Richard A. Uhlig

  2. Advanced Computer Architecture Lab (ACAL), Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Trevor N. Mudge

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  1. Richard A. Uhlig
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  1. Institut für Angewandte Informatik und Informationssysteme, Universität Wien, Lenaugasse 2/8, 1080, Wien, Austria

    Günter Haring

  2. Informatik IV, Universität Dortmund, August-Schmidt-Straße 12, 44227, Dortmund, Germany

    Christoph Lindemann

  3. GMD Institut für Medienkommunikation, Schloß Birlinghoven, Postfach 1316, 53754, Sankt Augustin, Germany

    Martin Reiser

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Uhlig, R.A., Mudge, T.N. (2000). Trace-Driven Memory Simulation: A Survey. In: Haring, G., Lindemann, C., Reiser, M. (eds) Performance Evaluation: Origins and Directions. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1769. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-46506-5_5

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