Author retrospective for compiler-directed data prefetching in multiprocessors with memory hierarchies
Eddie Gornish, Elana D. Granston, Alexander V. Veidenbaum · 2014
The ideas of compiler-generated prefetching were first proposed in the late 80's. Two main research directions were pursued, both addressed prefetching for loop-based applications containing arrays with regular access patterns. Our approach assumed a hardware prefetcher controlled by software and prefetching into a separate prefetch buffer and finding the earliest point such a prefetch can possibly be initiated. The other approach proposed to prefetch into a cache using a prefetch instruction. This retrospective examines the decisions made at the time and their applicability in today's high-performance processors.