Breakout Report: RAMP Grand Challenges Eric Chung, Joel Emer, Paul Hartke, James C. Hoe, James Holt, Asif Khan, Christos Kozyrakis Martha Mercaldi Kim, Andrew Putnam

Overview Immediate and long term goals for current projects Characterization of “grand” problems well suited for RAMP Grand Challenges

Goals Functional vs. coarse-grain performance vs. cycle-accurate vs. structurally-true –different needs (architectural insights vs. performance tuning, vs. …) –can different/opposing requirements co-exist –different levels of model could feed each other We want to push beyond the capacity of SW simulation –scale, speed, level of detail –do it faster/easier/better than SW simulator or building ASICs

More Goals Get architects and graduate students to build systems (working with constraints) and to probe deeper than paper designs We are not replacing SW simulators in all scenarios RAMP-red/white/blue/purple/…. –compatible, and reusable IPs –need better-defined applications to drive developments----what is RAMP red/white/blue supposed to be good at any way?

Characteristics (what simulators can’t do) Look at exotic and/or specialized systems against a substantial software base –and the not-so-exotic at extreme scale, heterogeneity, parallelism, unreliability Enable software folks to get involved in new architectures, feedback and iterate –got to have more than fast HW, SW folks want familiar tools and environment Enable user studies that measure the “human factor”

Grand Challenges A viable methodology for architecture research in 5 years to convince a real design team of an idea To really push the scale, 1,000,000 nodes (in condition that is useful by others) An easily accessible parallel platform for non-architects (e.g., to be used by parallel- algorithm folks) Develop a parallel architecture and programming model/language suitable for the masses (i.e., taught to freshmen)