CMSC 611
Advanced Computer Architecture
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This is a graduate class on computer architecture. Students in the
class should have completed CMSC 411 or an equivalent undergraduate
class on computer architecture.
This class provides a broad introduction to advanced topics in
computer architecture. Topics to be covered include memory system
design, pipeline structures, vector and scientific processors,
multiprocessors, and storage systems. The emphasis in each topic is on
fundamental limitations and the tradeoffs involved in designing
computer systems, including memory & processing bandwidth, network
bandwidth & latency, synchronization, and storage system bandwidth
& latency.
Basic stuff
Course information
Term project milestone dates
The dates marked with a (*) will require a 10 minute meeting with me
to make sure all is going well with your project. These meetings will
be scheduled on a signup sheet which will be available in class and
(afterwards) posted outside my office. Signups will generally occur
the class before the meetings. Meeting times will generally be either
just before or just after class. If you can't make any of the
remaining meeting times, please see me to schedule one. Also, if you
can't make a meeting for a good reason, please let me know
and we'll reschedule. Because the schedule is tight, though, the
rescheduled meeting may not be on Monday or Wednesday.
This page only lists the project milestone dates. For further
information on the project, see the
information page for the class.
- 16 Sep 1996 (*): Group & project selection
Each group should turn in a single page listing the group
members (with e-mail addresses) and a brief description of the
project.
- 9 Oct 1996: Background research well underway
Each group should turn in a list of papers on its topic. These
papers will form the basis for your project. You need not
have read every paper by this date, but you should have read
some of them.
- 28 Oct 1996 (*): Preliminary plans & design
By this time, your group should have its project planned out and
designed. Early results would be welcome, but not required.
- 9 & 11 Dec 1996: Project presentations
One member of the group will present their project in a brief (10
- 15 minute) presentation. This presentation should focus on
quantitative results.
- 11 Dec 1996: Written project report due
Each group must hand in a written report on the last day of
class. This report should describe the background material,
the project design, and any results. A
sample
paper is available.
There will be two midterms and a final exam. All will be open book,
open note exams. You're (strongly) encouraged to bring a calculator.
- Midterm #1: 16 October 1996
[Solutions]
- Midterm #2: 20 November 1996
[Solutions]
- Final: Monday, 16 December 1996, 6-8 PM
Both the due dates and the assignments are subject to change.
If this happens, I'll announce the changes in class well before they
would affect anyone. I'll also post the changes to this WWW page. In
general, homework assignments will be due one week after I finish
covering the necessary material.
IMPORTANT: the homework problems are taken
from the second edition of Hennessy & Patterson's
text. If you use the questions from the first edition, you won't be
doing the right homework.
- Homework #1 (due 18 Sep 1996): 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.7, 1.15
[Solutions]
- Homework #2 (due 25 Sep 1996): 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.11
[Solutions]
- Homework #3 (due 9 Oct 1996): 3.1, 3.5, 3.9, 3.10
[Solutions]
- Homework #4 (due 30 Oct 1996): 4.5, 4.7, 4.10, 4.25, B.2,
B.3 (parts a-e only)
[Solutions]
- Homework #5 (due 13 Nov 1996): 5.1, 5.5, 5.7, 5.9, 5.21
[Solutions]
- Homework #6 (due Dec 1995): 6.5, 6.6, 6.8, 6.19
[Solutions]
Reading assignments
In general, you should read the book before the class that
covers the material. The dates here will thus correspond
(approximately) to the dates on which we'll start discussing the
material in class. Of course, we won't cover all of the
material on the first day, but you should be well into the chapter by
that date.
- Chapter 1: 4 Sep 1996
- Chapter 2: 9 Sep 1996
- Chapter 3: 18 Sep 1996
- Chapter 4: 7 Oct 1996
- Appendix B: 23 Oct 1996
- Chapter 5: 28 Oct 1996
- Chapter 6: 11 Nov 1996
- Chapter 8: 2 Dec 1996
Other relevant home pages
Last updated
by
Ethan Miller
(elm@cs.umbc.edu)