Scientific Computing Applications on a Stream Processor

Stream processors, developed for the stream programming model, perform well on media applications. In this paper we examine the applicability of a stream processor to scientific computing applications. Eight scientific applications, each having different performance characteristics, are mapped to a stream processor. Due to the novelty of the stream programming model, we show how to map programs in a traditional language, such as FORTRAN. In a stream processor system, the management of system resources is the programmers' responsibility. We present several optimizations, which enable mapped programs to exploit various aspects of the stream processor architecture. Finally, we analyze the performance of the stream processor and the presented optimizations on a set of scientific computing applications. The stream programs are from 1.67 to 32.5 times faster than the corresponding FORTRAN programs on an Itanium 2 processor, with the optimizations playing an important role in realizing the performance improvement.