Industry Innovation? Symmetric and Asymmetric Chip Multi-Core: Applications, processors and scheduling - Initial Thoughts

Computational requirement is characterized by a wide range of diverse applications. This wide range of applications is applicable to all computing markets (e.g. Mobile, Desktop and Server). In many cases these applications coexist and run simultaneously on a specific system. The applications differ from each other by their practical requirements e.g. performance, BW, latency, power limitation, performance/power requirement, QoS, differential services etc. Essentially, these application are asymmetric/Heterogynous in nature and calls for reciprocal HW/SW/OS implementation to enable a better response to the applications’ need. On the other hand, device’s power limitation will drive the industry toeards Asymmetric HW. The diverse requirements and the change in HW calls for a new Asymmetric HW/OS approach. What should be HW/OS asymmetry approach?

Should we start from applications’ requirements? Data Content based requirements? What should the HW look like? Asymmetric Processing elements (cores) – same ISA/Different ISA? Is there a solution for the applications’ scheduling? Well, no simple answers.

In this talk we will try to open a small window to the Symmetric (Multi-Cote vs. Multi-Thread machines) and Asymmetric world and present some aspects and solutions. The talk seeks to stimulate discussion, debate and future work.

This talk refers to four research activities we hold at the Technion and at startups.

Professor Uri Weiser – bio

Dr. Weiser is a visiting Professor at the Electrical Engineering department, the Technion IIT and is in the advisory board of numerous startups.
He received the B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in EE from the Technion and Ph.D in CS from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Professor Weiser worked at Intel from 1988-2006. At Intel, Weiser initiated the definition of the Pentium® processor, drove the definition of Intel's MMX™ technology, invented the Trace Cache, co-managed the a new Intel Microprocessor Design Center at Austin, Texas and formed an Advanced Media applications research activity.

While in Intel Weiser was appointed an Intel Fellow in 1996. He was granted IEEE Fellow on 2002 and became an ACM Fellow in 2005.