Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which caching policy writes data to memory only during eviction?
Which caching policy writes data to memory only during eviction?
Static prediction in branch prediction always predicts the same outcome.
Static prediction in branch prediction always predicts the same outcome.
True
What is the role of branch target buffer (BTB) in branch prediction?
What is the role of branch target buffer (BTB) in branch prediction?
It stores the addresses of recently predicted branches.
Data parallelism is characterized by the same operation being performed on multiple ______.
Data parallelism is characterized by the same operation being performed on multiple ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Match the following cache miss types with their descriptions:
Match the following cache miss types with their descriptions:
Signup and view all the answers
Which technique uses historical data to predict branch outcomes?
Which technique uses historical data to predict branch outcomes?
Signup and view all the answers
Speculative execution can lead to execution starting at the correct branch if the prediction is wrong.
Speculative execution can lead to execution starting at the correct branch if the prediction is wrong.
Signup and view all the answers
What is a common challenge in parallel computing?
What is a common challenge in parallel computing?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the primary purpose of pipelining in processors?
What is the primary purpose of pipelining in processors?
Signup and view all the answers
Superscalar execution allows for multiple instructions to be executed in a single clock cycle.
Superscalar execution allows for multiple instructions to be executed in a single clock cycle.
Signup and view all the answers
Name one technique used to handle data hazards in pipelining.
Name one technique used to handle data hazards in pipelining.
Signup and view all the answers
Cache memory is used to reduce _______ time for frequently accessed data.
Cache memory is used to reduce _______ time for frequently accessed data.
Signup and view all the answers
Match the following concepts with their definitions:
Match the following concepts with their definitions:
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following is NOT a limitation of Instruction-Level Parallelism (ILP)?
Which of the following is NOT a limitation of Instruction-Level Parallelism (ILP)?
Signup and view all the answers
Branch instructions are a major factor that limits the effectiveness of superscalar processors.
Branch instructions are a major factor that limits the effectiveness of superscalar processors.
Signup and view all the answers
What is the main advantage of a cache in a computer architecture?
What is the main advantage of a cache in a computer architecture?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following is a key feature of multi-core architecture?
Which of the following is a key feature of multi-core architecture?
Signup and view all the answers
Doubling the associativity of a cache always doubles the number of tags in the cache.
Doubling the associativity of a cache always doubles the number of tags in the cache.
Signup and view all the answers
What is the primary benefit of multi-core processors?
What is the primary benefit of multi-core processors?
Signup and view all the answers
Doubling the line size usually reduces __________ misses.
Doubling the line size usually reduces __________ misses.
Signup and view all the answers
Match the following cache characteristics with their effects:
Match the following cache characteristics with their effects:
Signup and view all the answers
What communication techniques are used among cores in a multi-core architecture?
What communication techniques are used among cores in a multi-core architecture?
Signup and view all the answers
A pipelined datapath can use the same memory for both instructions and data without causing issues.
A pipelined datapath can use the same memory for both instructions and data without causing issues.
Signup and view all the answers
What type of applications benefit most from multi-core architecture?
What type of applications benefit most from multi-core architecture?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Multi-Core Architecture
- Multi-core processors integrate two or more independent processing units (cores) on a single chip to improve performance and energy efficiency.
- Key features include shared resources (caches, memory controllers, or buses), core communication (shared-memory or message-passing), and power efficiency (lower clock speeds for cores reduce heat generation).
- Multithreaded applications and virtualization are common applications.
Parallel Computing
- Parallel computing is a computational model where multiple processes or threads execute simultaneously to solve problems faster.
- Types of parallelism include data parallelism (same operation on multiple data elements) and task parallelism (different tasks executed concurrently).
- Models of parallelism include shared memory (all processors share a single address space, requiring synchronization to avoid data races) and distributed memory (each processor has its memory, communicating via message passing, used in clusters or supercomputers).
- Key challenges are load balancing, data synchronization, and communication overhead.
Branch Prediction
- Branch prediction reduces control hazards by guessing the outcome of branch instructions (e.g., if-else, loops) before they are resolved.
- Techniques include static prediction (always predict "taken" or "not taken") and dynamic prediction (using historical data to predict outcomes).
- Examples include 1-bit predictors, 2-bit predictors, branch target buffers (BTBs), and global history registers (GHRs).
- Speculative execution involves executing instructions based on predictions; if wrong, the pipeline is flushed.
Cache Optimization
- Cache is a small, fast memory located close to the processor to reduce access time for frequently used data.
- Key optimizations include cache hierarchies (L1, L2, L3 caches), associativity (direct-mapped, set-associative, and fully-associative), write policies (write-through or write-back), and prefetching.
- Block size, replacement (LRU, random, FIFO), miss types (compulsory, conflict, capacity) are vital.
Pipeline
- Pipelining is a technique used in processors to increase instruction throughput by overlapping instruction execution.
- A typical pipeline has stages like instruction fetch, decode, execution, memory access, and write-back.
- Hazards in pipelines include structural hazards (hardware resource limitations), data hazards (instruction dependencies), and control hazards (branch instructions).
- Solutions include forwarding, stalls, reordering, branch prediction, and pipeline flushing.
Instruction-Level Parallelism (ILP) & Superscalar
- ILP is the extent to which multiple instructions can be executed simultaneously, exploiting parallelism in program code.
- Key techniques include pipelining, superscalar execution (multiple functional units executing instructions in parallel), out-of-order execution (reordering instructions), and speculative execution.
- Superscalar processors can execute more than one instruction per clock cycle.
Cache Parameter Questions
- Doubling line size halves the number of tags in the cache because more data can fit per line.
- Doubling associativity does not change the number of tags in a cache.
- Doubling cache capacity in a direct-mapped cache usually decreases conflict misses as it increases the number of lines.
- Doubling cache capacity in a direct-mapped cache does not reduce compulsory misses.
- Doubling the cache line size will not change compulsory miss rate, or the number of misses.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Related Documents
Description
This quiz explores the concepts of multi-core architecture and parallel computing. You'll learn about the features of multi-core processors, the types of parallelism, and the various models of computation that enhance performance and efficiency. Test your knowledge on these essential topics in modern computing.
