Parallel System Architectures

Course manual 2020/2021

Course content

This course builds on a basic knowledge of microprocessor architecture. It develops this with and emphasis on instruction-level concurrency in microprocessor design and concurrency in both memory systems and parallel/distributed computing systems. The topics that are covered include superscalar and VLIW processor architectures, instruction- and thread-level parallelism, memory hierarchy, distributed- and shared-memory parallel computers, interconnection networks and new architecture trends.

Study materials

Literature

• John Hennessy and David Patterson,'Computer Architecture: a Quantitative Approach', Morgan Kaufmann, 3rd ed. or later.

Objectives

• To understand the principles and design of modern (multi-core) microprocessor systems and how such processors can be aggregated, using interconnection networks, into parallel/distributed computing systems.
• Building a simulation model of a cache-coherent multiprocessor system, with which cache behavior in such multiprocessor systems can be analyzed and evaluated
• Performing reviews of scientific paper(s)

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Computer lab session/practical training
• Self-study

Learning activities

Assessment

Inspection of assessed work

Contact your supervisor to make an appointment for inspection.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Timetable

The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

Additional information

Prior knowledge: Students need to have programming skills in C/C++, and basic knowledge on computer organization.

Contact information

Coordinator

• prof. dr. A.D. Pimentel