One of the key problems confronting computer system designers is the management and conservation of energy sources. This challenge is evident in a number of ways. The goal may be to extend the battery lifetime in a computer system comprising of a processor and a number of memory modules, I/O cores, and bridges. This is especially important in light of the fact that power consumption in a typical portable electronic system is increasing rapidly whereas the gravimetric energy density of its battery source is improving at a much slower pace. Other goals may be to limit the cooling requirements of a computer system or to reduce the financial burden of operating a large computing facility. The objective of this research is to develop system-wide power optimization algorithms and techniques that eliminate waste or overhead and allow energy-efficient use of the various memory and I/O devices while meeting an overall performance requirement. More precisely, this project tackles two related problems: dynamic voltage and frequency scaling targeting the minimization of the total system energy dissipation and global power management in a system comprising of modules that are potentially managed by their own local power management policies, yet must closely interact with one another in order to yield maximum system-wide energy efficiency. The broader impacts of this project include the development of energy-aware computer systems as the key for cost-effective realization of a large number of high-performance applications running on battery-powered portable platforms and the education and training of young researchers and engineers to be able to address complex and intertwined energy efficiency/performance challenges that arise in the context of designing next-generation information technology products and services.
