The VMP multiprocessor: initial experience, refinements, and performance evaluation

VMP is an experimental multiprocessor being developed at Stanford University, suitable for high-performance workstations and server machines. Its primary novelty lies in the use of software management of the per-processor caches and the design decisions in the cache and bus that make this approach feasible. The design and some uniprocessor trace-driven simulations indicating its performance have been reported previously. In this paper, we present our initial experience with the VMP design based on a running prototype as well as various refinements to the design. Performance evaluation is based both on measurement of actual execution as well as trace-driven simulation of multiprocessor executions from the Mach operating system.