A dynamic computation method for fast and accurate performance evaluation of multi-core architectures

International audienceEarly estimation of performance has become necessary to facilitate design of complex multi-core architectures. Performance evaluation based on extensive simulations is time consuming and needs to be improved to allow exploration of different architectures in acceptable time. In this paper, we propose a method that improves the tradeoff between simulation speed and accuracy of performance models of architectures. This method performs computation of evolution instants during model execution. It allows grouping and abstracting architecture processes and this way reduces significantly the number of simulation events. Experiments show significant benefits from the computation method on the simulation time. Especially, a simulation speed-up by a factor of 4 is achieved in the considered case study, with no loss of accuracy in estimation of processing resource usage. The proposed method has potential to support automatic generation of efficient architecture models