Advanced computing systems have long been enablers for breakthroughs in science, engineering, and new technologies. However, with the slowing down of Moore’s law and the relentless needs of Big-Data applications, e.g., deep learning, graph analytics, and scientific simulations, current solutions are not adequate. There is a need for innovative computer architectures and computationally efficient methods to design application-specific hardware systems to optimize performance, power consumption, and reliability. The main focus of this work is design and demonstration of a heterogeneous single-chip manycore platform, integrating CPU, GPU, accelerator, and memory cores, via a network-on-chip to avoid expensive off-chip data transfers. The goal of this project is to address the design of application-specific heterogeneous manycore systems that are poised to achieve unprecedented levels of performance and energy-efficiency for Big-Data applications. The PIs will disseminate research outcomes via publications, seminars, tutorials, and workshops. The project is also leading to the development of an interdisciplinary research-based curriculum integrating computer architectures, machine learning, and data-driven design optimization. Undergraduate and graduate students involved in this research will be trained to apply classroom knowledge to research problems that require next-generation hardware, software, and theoretical expertise.
The project will lay the foundations for a novel computing paradigm for Big-Data applications that allows us to quickly design and autonomously self-manage heterogeneous manycore computing systems to improve performance, reduce power consumption, and enhance reliability. In-memory processing can overcome the memory wall, but it introduces new challenges in overall application-specific system optimization. The specific research tasks include: 1) Data-driven multi-objective design space exploration and optimization algorithms for heterogeneous manycore architectures; 2) Reliability assessment and system design for reliability; 3) Structured learning framework for autonomous resource management; and 4) Performance, power, and reliability evaluation using emerging Big-Data application workloads. This framework will combine the benefits of multi-objective design space exploration and optimization, heterogeneity in computation and communication, and data-driven algorithms to improve performance, energy-efficiency, and reliability of manycore platforms.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
