Virtual power management multiprocessor system simulation

Abstract

A model-based virtual power management driven multi-chip system simulator generates utilization data and performance data with a workload model that models one or more types of workloads based on parameters that characterize the one or more types of workloads. The simulator generates thermal data and power consumption data with a power model that models power consumption at a chip-level and a system-level. The simulator then generates performance counter information with a performance model that models change of performance counters over time and at least one of the generated utilization data and the generated performance data as input to the performance model. The simulator provides this generated data as input to a driver of the simulator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 generating utilization data and performance data for a simulated multi-core system with a workload model that models one or more types of workloads based on parameters that characterize the one or more types of workloads;   generating thermal data and power consumption data for the simulated multi-core system with a power model that models power consumption at a chip-level and a system-level;   generating performance counter information for the simulated multi-core system with a performance model that models change of performance counters over time and at least one of the generated utilization data and the generated performance data as input to the performance model; and   providing the thermal data, the performance data, the counter information, the utilization data, and the power consumption data as input into an executing instance of program code that generates power management simulation events based, at least in part, on the thermal data, the performance data, the counter information, the utilization data, and the power consumption data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing the thermal data, the performance data, the counter information, the utilization data, and the power consumption data as input into the executing instance of program code that generates power management actions comprises providing the thermal data, the performance data, the counter information, the utilization data, and the power consumption data as input to a full system simulator. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the full system simulator providing a power management simulation event to a simulator that includes the workload model, the power model, and the performance model, wherein the models generate corresponding data responsive to receipt of the power management simulation event. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising the full system simulator requesting information from any one of the models, wherein the models generate corresponding data responsive to receipt of the request. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the models generate corresponding data responsive to a power management simulation event,
 wherein said generating utilization data and performance data comprises running the workload model based, at least in part, on indication of the power management simulation event;   wherein said generating thermal data and power consumption data comprises running the power model based, at least in part on the utilization data, the performance data, and the indication of the power management simulation event;   wherein said generating performance counter information comprises running the performance model based, at least in part, on the utilization data and the performance data.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said running the workload model comprises running the workload model a number of times that corresponds to an elapsed simulation time between the power management simulation event and a preceding power management simulation event. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said generating thermal data and power consumption data for the simulated multi-core system with a power model that models power consumption at a chip-level and a system-level comprises generating the thermal data and the power consumption data based, at least in part, on parameters that characterize power consumption related behavior of an aggregation of chip-level components and characterize power consumption related behavior of an aggregation of system-level components. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said generating utilization data and performance data for a simulated multi-core system with a workload model that models one or more types of workloads based on parameters that characterize the one or more types of workloads comprises computing the utilization data and the performance data based on the parameters that characterize the one more types of workloads and a power management simulation event instead of simulating an actual workload.