Project description
Extending the coherence protocol to optimise multicore processors' energy efficiency
Multicore processors in digital devices such as smartphones and high-performance servers require increased computational power to access emerging applications. However, their performance can be significantly impeded by speculation techniques in hardware, which often perform unnecessary operations that excessively increase power consumption. Therefore, it is essential to design multicore processors that are more energy efficient. The EU-funded ECHO project aims to improve the performance and efficiency of future multicore processors by enhancing the role of the cache coherence protocol. By adding simple extensions to the cache coherence protocol, it will be possible to reduce misspeculations at the processing core and enable speculative optimisation during compilation.
Objective
Multicore processors are present nowadays in most digital devices, from smartphones to high-performance
servers. The increasing computational power of these processors is essential for enabling many important
emerging application domains such as big-data, media, medical, or scientific modeling. A fundamental
technique to improve performance is speculation, a technique that consists in executing work before it is
known if it is actually needed. In hardware, speculation significantly increases energy consumption by
performing unnecessary operations, while speculation in software (e.g. compilers) is not the default thus
preventing performance optimizations. Since performance in current multicores is limited by their power
budget, it is imperative to make multicores as energy-efficient as possible to increase performance even
further.
In a multicore architecture, the cache coherence protocol is an essential component since its unique but
challenging role is to offer a simple and unified view of the memory hierarchy. This project envisions that
extending the role of the coherence protocol to simplify other system components will be the key to
overcome the performance and energy limitations of current multicores. In particular, ECHO proposes to
add simple but effective extensions to the cache coherence protocol in order to (i) reduce and even
eliminate misspeculations at the processing cores and synchronization mechanisms and to (ii) enable
speculative optimizations at compile time. The goal of this innovative approach is to improve the
performance and energy efficiency of future multicore architectures. To accomplish the objectives
proposed in this project, I will build on my 14 years expertise in cache coherence, documented in over 40
publications of high impact.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2018-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
30003 Murcia
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.