Scalable Distributed Data Structures for Non Cache-Coherent Many-Core Architectures

핵심 개념

The authors study general techniques for implementing scalable distributed data structures, such as stacks, queues, and deques, on future many-core architectures with non or partially cache-coherent memory. They propose a comprehensive collection of data structures that leverage message-passing and hierarchical designs to achieve high performance and scalability.

초록

The authors focus on designing efficient distributed data structures for future many-core architectures with non or partially cache-coherent memory. They propose a comprehensive collection of data structures, including stacks, queues, and deques, that are optimized for such architectures.

The key highlights and insights are:

1. The authors employ a highly scalable distributed hash table (DHT) as the underlying directory to store the state of the data structures. This allows them to distribute the data across the local memory modules of the servers.

2. They introduce a generic hierarchical scheme that makes all their implementations scalable. In this approach, only one core from each island (the island master) participates in the execution of the distributed algorithm, while the rest of the cores submit their requests to this core.

3. For the directory-based stack, the synchronizer maintains a counter (top_key) to assign unique keys to the pushed elements. Clients use these keys to insert and remove elements from the directory.

4. For the directory-based queue, the synchronizer maintains two counters (head_key and tail_key) to track the first and last elements in the queue. Clients use these keys to enqueue and dequeue elements from the directory.

5. The authors provide formal proofs of correctness (linearizability) for their directory-based stack and queue implementations.

6. Experimental results on a 512-core non cache-coherent architecture demonstrate the scalability and performance benefits of the proposed techniques, especially the hierarchical approach.

통계

None.

인용구

None.

핵심 통찰 요약

Efficient Distributed Data Structures for Future Many-core Architectures

by Panagiota Fa... 게시일 arxiv.org 04-09-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2404.05515.pdf

더 깊은 질문

How can the proposed techniques be extended to support more complex data structures, such as priority queues or skip lists, on non cache-coherent architectures

To extend the proposed techniques to support more complex data structures like priority queues or skip lists on non cache-coherent architectures, several considerations need to be taken into account.
For priority queues, the directory-based approach can be adapted by introducing a mechanism to prioritize elements based on certain criteria. Each element inserted into the priority queue would be associated with a priority value, allowing for efficient retrieval of the highest priority element. The synchronizer would need to manage the ordering of elements based on their priorities, ensuring that the highest priority element is dequeued first.
Skip lists, on the other hand, require a more intricate structure involving multiple levels of pointers to allow for efficient searching and insertion. Implementing skip lists in a distributed manner would involve coordinating the updates across different nodes to maintain the integrity of the structure. Each node would need to manage its local skip list structure while also communicating with other nodes to perform operations that span multiple levels.
In both cases, the key challenge lies in ensuring consistency and synchronization across distributed nodes without the reliance on cache-coherence. Techniques such as message-passing, hierarchical structures, and efficient communication protocols would need to be further optimized to support the complexities of priority queues and skip lists in a distributed non cache-coherent environment.

What are the potential challenges and trade-offs in designing distributed data structures that can efficiently handle dynamic workloads, where the size and distribution of the data changes over time

Designing distributed data structures to efficiently handle dynamic workloads poses several challenges and trade-offs.
One challenge is maintaining consistency and coherence across distributed nodes as the size and distribution of data change. Ensuring that all nodes have an up-to-date view of the data while minimizing communication overhead is crucial. Techniques like lazy propagation of updates, differential synchronization, and efficient conflict resolution mechanisms can help address these challenges.
Another challenge is load balancing and data partitioning in dynamic workloads. As data distribution changes, redistributing data among nodes to ensure balanced loads and optimal performance becomes essential. Dynamic data structures that can adapt to changing workloads by redistributing data and workload dynamically can help mitigate these challenges.
Trade-offs may arise in terms of latency, throughput, and resource utilization. Optimizing for one aspect may come at the cost of another. For example, prioritizing low latency may result in higher communication overhead, impacting overall throughput. Balancing these trade-offs requires a deep understanding of the workload characteristics and system constraints.

Given the energy consumption concerns in many-core architectures, how can the design of distributed data structures be further optimized to minimize energy usage without sacrificing performance

Optimizing distributed data structures to minimize energy usage in many-core architectures without sacrificing performance is a multifaceted task that involves several strategies.
One approach is to optimize communication patterns to reduce unnecessary data movement and minimize idle time in nodes. Techniques like batching requests, aggregating messages, and optimizing data placement can help reduce energy consumption associated with communication overhead.
Another strategy is to leverage low-power modes and dynamic voltage and frequency scaling to adapt the energy consumption of nodes based on workload demands. By intelligently managing the power states of nodes, energy efficiency can be improved without compromising performance.
Furthermore, optimizing algorithms for energy efficiency by reducing redundant computations, minimizing data replication, and employing energy-aware data placement strategies can contribute to overall energy savings in distributed data structures.
Overall, a holistic approach that combines efficient communication protocols, dynamic power management, and energy-aware algorithm design is essential to minimize energy usage in distributed data structures on many-core architectures.