Performance Evaluation for Processors Using Specific Benchmark Tools: Exploring OpenMP and Speedup Factors

Title: Performance Evaluation for Processors Using Specific Benchmark
Tools
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1. Regarding the OpenMP benchmarks:
a. Describe in 200 words one of the OpenMP benchmarks that were used to measure
the performance of Intel’s Quad Core processors. [2 marks]
Solution
One of the openMp benchmarks used is the NPB benchmark set. NPB is an
acronym for NasPB which is the Numerical, Aerodynamic, Simulation Parallel
Benchmark. This benchmark is used to find the performance evaluation of highly
parallel computers. It follows the computation and data processing principles of
large scale computation of fluid dynamics applications. It is written in two
languages, C programming language and FORTRAN. It uses OpenMP to achieve
parallelism. The problems solved using this benchmark are categorized in
different classes depending on their sizes. These different classes are S, W, A, B,
C, D and E. in this case S is the smallest class while E is the largest.
NPB Benchmarks are developed and maintained by NASA advanced
supercomputing division based at the NASA Ames Research Center. The first
version of NPB required benchmarks to feature parallel algorithms and software
methods, easily verifiable and correctness of results and performance figures, they
should be capable of accommodating new systems, genericness and architecture
neutrality and should be readily distributable. Later versions of NPB are a slight
improvement of the first version. NPB was created since traditional benchmark
were specialized only for vector computers and hence suffered from parallelism
which impeded tuning restrictions. They also had insufficient problem holding
sizes.
b. What is the Speedup performance factor? How is it calculated? How can you
compare some Intel’s processors according to the Speedup? [2 marks]
Solution
Speedup performance factor is a number that is used to measure the relative
performance of two systems that are used to process the same signal/ problem. It
is used to improve the speed at which a task is executed that is execution of tasks
on two similar architectures with different capabilities.
Speedup performance factor is calculated by computing the ratio of the execution
time while using one thread to the execution time while using a given number
(Say N) of threads as shown in the following equation.
Speedup= T 1
Tn ; where T1 is the time for execution when using one thread and Tn
is the time for execution while using N threads.