The HARPA Approach to Ensure Dependable Performance

Abstract

The goal of the HARPA solution is to overcome the performance variability (PV) by enabling next-generation embedded and high-performance platforms using heterogeneous many-core processors to provide cost-effectively dependable performance: the correct functionality and (where needed) timing guarantees throughout the expected lifetime of a platform. This must be accomplished in the presence of cycle-by-cycle performance variability due to time-dependent variations in silicon devices and wires under thermal, power, and energy constraints. The common challenge for both embedded and high-performance systems is to harness the unsustainable increases in design and operational margins and yet provide dependable performance. For example, resources that are statically determined based on worst-case execution time for real-time applications or lower clock frequency to satisfy excessive timing margins in high-performance processors.