Automatically Mapping Program Functions to Distributed Heterogeneous Platforms Based on Hardware Attributes and Specified Constraints

Abstract

A method for automatically mapping program functions to distributed heterogeneous platforms based on hardware attributes and specified constraints is disclosed. The method includes receiving a plurality of program functions and determining constraint information for each. The method further includes determining attributes of a plurality of hardware processing elements, wherein ones of the plurality of hardware processing elements have different attributes with respect to other ones of the hardware processing elements. The plurality of program functions may be automatically mapped for execution on at least a subset of the hardware processing elements, wherein the mapping is based on constraint information and the attributes.

Description

PRIORITY INFORMATION[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 316,284, filed on Mar. 31, 2016 and titled “Automatically Mapping Program Functions to Distributed Heterogenous Platforms Based on Hardware Attributes and Specified Constraints”, and is fully incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUNDTechnical Field[0002]This disclosure relates to computer processing and more particularly to mapping program code to distributed heterogeneous hardware elements.Description of the Related Art[0003]Applications for computer-based systems are typically growing in complexity and computing hardware is available in many forms. Some hardware elements perform certain tasks better than others. For example, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) may be best suited for certain tasks while more traditional central processing units (CPUs) may be better for other tasks.[0004]Many systems such as PCI-Extended (PXI) systems allow customizable connections of differ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a method for automatically mapping program functions to different hardware platforms based on their attributes and specified constraints. The method involves determining constraint information for each program function and analyzing the attributes of the hardware processing elements. The program functions can then be mapped for execution on a subset of the hardware processing elements based on the constraint information and attributes. The computer system can also simulate the operation of the mapping and initiate additional mapping iterations or deploy the program functions to the selected hardware processing elements if needed. The technical effects of the patent include improved performance and efficiency in mapping program functions to heterogeneous platforms and reduced reliance on human expertise.

Problems solved by technology

Applications for computer-based systems are typically growing in complexity and computing hardware is available in many forms.

Given performance requirements and platform complexities, however, a good mapping may not be intuitive to find, and an exhaustive exploration may not be feasible even for modestly sized platform configurations.

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