SYNCHROTRACE

What is it?

A fast computer-architecture simulation framework for design space exploration.
See our publication for details

The SynchroTrace Simulation Framework has two parts:

• prism-based Trace Capture of multi-threaded applications
  • https://github.com/VANDAL/prism
• gem5-based Trace Replay
  • this repo (based on the official SynchroTrace patch)

Build REPLAY

❗ Check dependencies ❗

• please see gem5's dependency list: http://gem5.org/Dependencies

  git clone https://github.com/VANDAL/SynchroTrace-gem5
  cd SynchroTrace-gem5
  scons build/ARM/gem5.opt -j

Acquire TRACES

• Generate multi-threaded event traces for your program binary
• REQUIRES v2 trace format
  • can convert v1 format to v2 format via: https://github.com/VANDAL/stgen_1to2

Example:

git clone https://github.com/VANDAL/prism
cd prism
mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
make -j
bin/prism --backend=stgen -ltextv2 --executable=./a.out

Run REPLAY

• Uses the gem5 simulation system
  • http://learning.gem5.org/book/index.html
  • SynchroTrace is modeled as a CPU tester (a mock-CPU)
• Use the example SynchroTrace configuration scripts
  • configs/example/synchrotrace_ruby.py for Ruby/Garnet Simulations
  • configs/example/synchrotrace_classic_memory.py for Classic Memory System Simulations
  • arguments to the example script will configure the system
  • the python scripts are required by gem5 to hook up the various architecture components

Example wrapper:

# set some convenience vars
EVENT_PATH=/path/to/traces
OUTPUT_PATH=/path/to/output

build/ARM/gem5.opt                                                                          \
  --debug-flags=STIntervalPrint                                                               \
  configs/example/synchrotrace_ruby.py                                                      \
    --ruby                                                                                    \
    --network=garnet2.0                                                                       \
    --topology=Mesh_XY                                                                        \
    --mesh-rows=8                                                                             \
    --event-dir=$EVENT_PATH                                                                   \
    --output-dir=$OUTPUT_PATH                                                                 \
    --num-cpus=8 --num-threads=8 --num-dirs=8 --num-l2caches=8                                \
    --l1d_size=64kB --l1d_assoc=2 --l1i_size=64kB --l1i_assoc=2 --l2_size=4096kB --l2_assoc=8 \
    --cpi-iops=1 --cpi-flops=1                                                                \
    --bandwidth-factor=4 --monitor-freq=100 --cacheline_size=64

List of valid arguments:

build/ARM/gem5.opt ./configs/example/synchrotrace_ruby.py --help

Simulation Results:

Simulated metrics are placed in m5out/stats.txt.

NOTE TO PREVIOUS USERS

Synchronization region-of-interest options have not been reimplemented as of the latest release. Checkout tag st_v1.0.0 if required. File an issue if it's required again for the latest release.