Keynote: Compiler and Runtime Challenges for Memory Centric Programming
Workshop: Workshop on Memory Centric Programming for HPC
Authors: Vivek Sarkar (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Abstract: It is widely recognized that a major disruption is under way in computer hardware as processors strive to extend, and go beyond, the end-game of Moore's Law. This disruption will include new forms of processor and memory hierarchies, including near-memory computation structures. In this talk, we summarize compiler and runtime challenges for memory centric programming, based on past experiences with the X10 project at IBM and the Habanero project at Rice University and Georgia Tech. A key insight in addressing compiler challenges is to expand the state-of-the-art in analyzing and transforming explicitly-parallel programs, so as to encourage programmers to write forward-scalable layout-independent code rather than hardwiring their programs to specific hardware platforms and specific data layouts. A key insight in addressing runtime challenges is to focus on asynchrony in both computation and data movement, while supporting both in a unified and integrated manner. A cross-cutting opportunity across compilers and runtimes is to broaden the class of computation and data mappings that can be considered for future systems. Based on these and other insights, we will discuss recent trends in compilers and runtime systems that point the way towards possible directions for addressing the challenges of memory centric programming.
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