Validation of Context Preserving Thread-Level Speculative Execution Using N-Queens: Comparison of Non-CPSE and CPSE-enabled Applications

摘要

Due to simulation overhead, validation of proposed microarchitecture enhancements may be limited to simple test scenarios, which focus on the known architectural deficiencies. These test scenarios often avoid a complete simulation of the eventual target environment in which the enhancements will be employed. A case study is presented, comparing and contrasting the performance of an 8×8 N-Queens algorithm, in both a non-Thread-Level Speculation (TLS) configuration, and utilizing the Context Preserving Speculative Execution (CPSE) configuration. Validation is performed within the constraints of a simulated target environment. A brief introduction of TLS proposals is also included.