Cache coherence protocols: evaluation using a multiprocessor simulation model
ACM Transactions on Computer Systems (TOCS)
The SPLASH-2 programs: characterization and methodological considerations
ISCA '95 Proceedings of the 22nd annual international symposium on Computer architecture
Memory consistency and event ordering in scalable shared-memory multiprocessors
ISCA '90 Proceedings of the 17th annual international symposium on Computer Architecture
An overview of the Pentium Pro processor bus
COMPCON '96 Proceedings of the 41st IEEE International Computer Conference
Pentium Pro processor workstation/server PCI Chipset
COMPCON '96 Proceedings of the 41st IEEE International Computer Conference
Multiprocessor design verification for the PowerPC 620 microprocessor
ICCD '95 Proceedings of the 1995 International Conference on Computer Design: VLSI in Computers and Processors
Design Verification of the S3.mp Cache-Coherent Shared-Memory System
IEEE Transactions on Computers
A simulation-based method for the verification of shared memory in multiprocessor systems
Proceedings of the 2001 IEEE/ACM international conference on Computer-aided design
Postsilicon Validation Methodology for Microprocessors
IEEE Design & Test
Proceedings of the 44th annual Design Automation Conference
Targeted random test generation for power-aware multicore designs
ACM Transactions on Design Automation of Electronic Systems (TODAES) - Special section on verification challenges in the concurrent world
| Hi-index | 4.10 |
While working on its newest microprocessor, the Pentium Pro, Intel was aware that many manufacturers wanted the company to quickly supply them with high-performance products suitable for multiprocessor systems. In the past, multiprocessor systems have taken a year longer than uniprocessor systems to introduce because of the need to develop and validate the additional functionality. So, the company had to find a way to make sure the Pentium Pro would be multiprocessor functional at first silicon. The process was even more challenging because Intel wanted to deliver a production system within a year of first silicon. Intel subsequently developed a test methodology to validate multiprocessor functionality. Intel used a variety of methods, including self-checking test templates, random test generation, microbenchmarks, and such industry-standard benchmarks as parallel scientific code and large database workloads. The company discovered that it could also use its presilicon validation methodology in the postsilicon environment. In addition, Intel discovered that multiprocessor validation can find problems that also affect uniprocessor functionality and that might be difficult to test in a uniprocessor environment.