Hi Steve,

The config.ini file for the testcase "01.hello-2T-smt" shows "numThreads=1"
while there are two workloads on it.
In the FAQs, it says:
"If you're using the O3 model, you can also assign a vector of workload
objects to one CPU, in which case the CPU will run all of the workloads
concurrently in SMT mode."
(
http://www.m5sim.org/wiki/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions#How_do_I_run_multiprogram_workloads_on_M5.3F
)

I am confused now because you said, regarding the above FAQ point, that
(refer to the attached reply):
"... it's talking about situations where you have more software threads than
hardware thread contexts and thus require a software scheduler to do context
switching."

Is "numThreads" not the same as the number of h/w thread contexts?

regards,
Soumyaroop.

On Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 6:39 PM, Steve Reinhardt <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
> On Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 6:26 PM, soumyaroop roy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Dear m5 users and developers,
>>
>> I have a few questions about the M5's current capabilities:
>>
>> 1. The FAQ section
>> (
>> http://m5sim.org/wiki/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions#How_do_I_run_multiprogram_workloads_on_M5.3F
>> )
>> says:
>> "Note that SE mode has no thread scheduling; if you need a scheduler,
>> run in FS mode and use the fine scheduler built into the Linux
>> kernel."
>> This is not talking about the thread scheduler in the processor core
>> that picks up instructions from various threads during the
>> instructions fetch stage, is it?
>
>
> It's not; it's talking about situations where you have more software
> threads than hardware thread contexts and thus require a software scheduler
> to do context switching.
>
>
>> 2. If my understanding above is correct and if I were to model SMT
>> capabilities of a single core of the OpenSparc T1, I may build the
>> simulator for Sparc in SE mode. Otherwise, I will have to build the
>> same in FS mode. Is this correct?
>
>
> No, it's not related to whether you have multiple cores or not.  FS vs SE
> is only about whether you want to simulate the OS code or just an
> application.
>
>
>> 3. I also found out from the m5-users archive
>> (http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg02138.html) that
>> the Sparc support in FS mode is not as mature as Alpha support in FS
>> mode. Is it a better idea to model a generic SMT and/or CMP processor
>> on the Alpha processor instead of the Sparc processor from the
>> perspective of not running into simulator limitations?
>
>
> If you need FS mode and CMP works for you, then Alpha probably is the
> better choice.  CMP Alpha FS has been fairly heavily used, at least for
> modest core counts (say 4-8).  Though Alpha FS with the "big tsunami"
> patches theoretically supports up to 64 cores, I recall from the mailing
> list that people have run into scalability issues before that point.
>
> If you need FS and SMT, then unfortunately there's no good answer...
> neither Alpha nor Sparc works in FS mode with SMT to my knowledge.  My guess
> is that it would be easier to get Sparc working in that case since at least
> there are real SMT Sparc machines to emulate.
>
> 4. The M5 documentation
>> (http://www.m5sim.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page) mentions that the
>> Alpha support in M5 is modeled on a DEC Tsunami system. Is that a CMP
>> processor (corresponding to Opensparc T1 for Sparc)? I could not find
>> a manual for it.
>
>
> Tsunami was an internal DEC/Compaq chipset code name that came out as the
> 21272, and was used in a couple of different products, including the
> AlphaServer DS10/20 and the XP1000 workstation.
> http://www.alphalinux.org/docs/goldrush
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_21264#21272
>
>
>> 5. Is it possible to simulate both SMT and CMP capabilities in M5?
>
>
> In theory, yes.  I haven't done it myself, but it should work in SE mode.
>
> Steve
>
>
>>
>>
>> regards,
>> Soumyaroop.
>> _______________________________________________
>> m5-users mailing list
>> [email protected]
>> http://m5sim.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/m5-users
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> m5-users mailing list
> [email protected]
> http://m5sim.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/m5-users
>



-- 
Soumyaroop Roy
Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
University of South Florida, Tampa
http://www.csee.usf.edu/~sroy
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