SESC: Simulator Configuration with Power Model SMP

Note: I am using LINUX with following specifications, g++ (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.1-9ubuntu3) 4.6.1.

Installing SESC first time, then follow this post SESC Simulator: First Time Installation for instructions.

Building SESC:

Make new directory ‘build’ in ‘sesc’ folder;

Simulator can be configured as many set of operations, so recommendation is to create different ‘build’ directory for each configuration.

> mkdir build

> cd build

Configuring SESC For SMP:

> ../sesc/configure --enable-smp --enable-power

Executable SESC with SMP:

> make

’sesc.smp’ is the executable file for further testing. 

Configuration File:

In case, you want to test simulator with SMP configurations without changing any parameter, there is one file ‘smp.conf’ present in ‘/sesc/confs/’ folder.

Copy smp.conf and shared.conf file in the build folder;

> cp ../sesc/confs/smp.conf /home/user/build/

> cp ../sesc/confs/shared.conf /home/user/build/

Rename ‘smp.conf’ with ‘sesc.conf’.

Compilation SESC with Power Model:

‘cactify’ and ‘wattchify’, two executables are required for power and energy calculation.

• 'cactify'; for clock frequency, capacitance and power calculation
• 'wattchify'; for energy calculation

To generate executable, following commands are required;

> make cactify

> make wattchify

To obtain, power model based on the configuration file;

> ./wattchify sesc.conf tmp.conf

> ./cactify tmp.conf power.conf

‘power.conf’ is the simulator output file.

Running Benchmark:

There are few benchmark applications are available in ‘/sesc/tests/’ folder to test previously build simulator. While running this test simulation, crafty benchmark is used. 

> ./sesc.smp -h0x800000 -cpower.conf ../sesc/tests/crafty < ../sesc/tests/tt.in

Output:

The generated simulator output file will be with the name ‘sesc_crafty.xxxxxx’. The extension ‘xxxxxx’ is random and will be different every time benchmark is tested.

static[0x1008db40-0x101b3dd4] heap[0x101b4000-0x109b4000] stack[0x109b4000-0x111ac000] -> [0xb6000000-0xb711e4c0]

Crafty v14.3

sesc_simulation_mark 0 (simulated) @32112426

White(1): sesc_simulation_mark 1 (simulated) @32183488

White(1): pondering disabled.

sesc_simulation_mark 2 (simulated) @32269704

White(1): noise level set to 0.

sesc_simulation_mark 3 (simulated) @32297868

White(1): search time set to 99999.00.

sesc_simulation_mark 4 (simulated) @32423267

White(1): verbosity set to 5.

sesc_simulation_mark 5 (simulated) @32447392

White(1): sesc_simulation_mark 6 (simulated) @32908293

White(1): search depth set to 2.

sesc_simulation_mark 7 (simulated) @32920437

White(1): 

              clearing hash tables

              depth   time  score   variation (1)

                1   ###.##  -0.67   axb5 c6xb5

                1   ###.##  -0.08   a4a5

sesc_simulation_mark 8 (simulated) @37373970

                1-> ###.##  -0.08   a4a5

                2   ###.##     --   a4a5

                2   ###.##  -0.65   a4a5 f6f5

                2   ###.##  -0.58   axb5 c6xb5 Ne4c5

                2   ###.##  -0.46   Rf1c1 f6f5

                2   ###.##  -0.43   Ra1c1 f6f5

sesc_simulation_mark 9 (simulated) @41424941

                2-> ###.##  -0.43   Ra1c1 f6f5

              time:###  cpu:###  mat:-1  n:833  nps: ####

              ext-> checks:18 recaps:4 pawns:0 1rep:6

              predicted:0  nodes:833  evals:372

              endgame tablebase-> probes done: 0  successful: 0

              hashing-> trans/ref:17%  pawn:83%  used:w0% b0%

White(1): Ra1c1 

              time used: ###.##

sesc_simulation_mark 10 (simulated) @42650164

Black(1): execution complete.

Segmentation fault

Note: Till now, I am unable to figure it out that why there is segmentation fault after the end of execution (If anyone know, please let me know as well). Apart from segmentation fault occurrence, the simulator output file ‘sesc_crafty.xxxxxx’ is valid to generate report file.

Generating Report:
There is ‘report.pl’ script file located in ‘/sesc/scripts/’ folder, is to view the outcome of the benchmark.
Keep in mind that we are still in build directory, that we created in the start. So, by executing the following command;
> ../sesc/scripts/report.pl -last

Customization of Configuration File:
Th configuration file ('sesc.conf') contain design parameters; which can be changed to test simulation performance, for example;

• Number of Processors [2-32]
• Processor Issue Width [1-8]
• L1 Instr. Cache Size [2048-16384]
• L1 Data Cache Size [2048-16384]
• L2 Private Cache Size [32768-262144]
• L1 Instr. Cache Associativity [1-8]
• L1 Data Cache Associativity [1-8]
• L2 Data Cache Associativity [1-8]
• I/D/L2 Cache Block Size [16-32]

After changing the configuration file, power model will be achieved by running the following commands at every change of configuration;
> ./wattchify sesc.conf tmp.conf
> ./cactify tmp.conf power.conf

SPLASH2 Benchmarks:
SPLASH2 Benchmark consists of different applications that can be run on SESC Simulator in order to evaluate cycles, power, and energy performance according to the parameters set in configuration file (sesc.conf).
Download Splash2 Benchmark Kernels Applications.

Other Links:

• SESC Superescalar Simulator Initial Guide
• SESC Simulator: First Time Installation
• Splash2 Benchmark Kernels Applications
• SESC: Simulator Configuration with CMP