Accelerator Value Profiling via Instrumentation Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing techniques for value profiling on accelerators require significant computing resources and can be improved for efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for performing value profiling on accelerators by inserting variable value profiling code into accelerator software programs, which records variable values and their occurrence counts using extended index arrays and performs memory copy operations efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional value profiling techniques are used on accelerators, then profiling functionality is achieved, but computing resource consumption is excessive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalue profiling accuracyVSAvoidcomputing resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the profiling instrumentation from the main accelerator execution path by using separate hardware counters and memory structures. The instrumentation code is minimized and placed in specific locations where it only records data without interfering with the main computational workload, thereby achieving accurate profiling with minimal resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces hardware counters and specialized memory structures as intermediaries between the accelerator execution and the profiling data collection. These intermediaries automatically capture variable values and occurrence counts without requiring continuous software intervention, reducing the computational burden on the accelerator while maintaining profiling accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If instrumentation code is inserted into accelerator software programs, then value profiling is enabled, but overhead of memory operations increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevariable value tracking accuracyVSAvoidmemory operation overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the profiling functionality into separate hardware components (counters, memory structures) rather than integrating it into the main software execution flow. This segmentation allows the instrumentation to operate independently with minimal memory operations, as the hardware counters automatically track variable values without requiring frequent memory accesses from the main program.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring hardware counters and memory structures before the accelerator execution begins. The instrumentation is set up in advance to automatically capture data, eliminating the need for continuous memory operations during execution and reducing overall memory overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20250086090A1Value profiling on accelerators

Publication Date: 2025.03.13 NVIDIA CORP

AI summary

Apparatuses, systems, and techniques to perform variable value profiling. In at least one embodiment, variable value profiling is to be performed by one or more accelerators.