Course content

Computer architecture fundamentals, trends, measuring performance, quantitative principles. Instruction set architectures and the role of compilers. Instruction-level parallelism, branch prediction, speculation, thread-level parallelism, VLIW and examples. Memory hierarchy design, cache, case study (Playstation 2), storage systems. Multiprocessors and Thread-Level Parallelism, shared memory architectures, distributed shared memory, synchronization, multithreading. Interconnection networks, topologies, clusters, case study. Vector processors.

Learning outcome

To get a general and deep understanding of the organization of modern computers and the motivation for different computer architectures. Give a base for understanding of research themes within the field.

Learning methods and activities

This course will be taught every year, starting in spring 2009.
Auditorium lectures and self-study. Obligatory exercise (counts 20%). Written exam counts 80%. Final grade (A to F) given at end of semester. If there is a re-sit examination, the examination form may change from written to oral.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

Course TDT4160 Computer Fundamentals, or equivalent.

Course materials

Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach, 4th edition by John L. Hennessy, David A. Patterson. Morgan Kaufmann 2006. Eventually additional text announced at the start of the semester.

Credit reductions