A Fast Performance Analysis Tool for Multicore, Multithreaded Communication Processors

To allow fast communication processor (CP) performance testing of task-to-CP-topology mapping, we propose a fast CP simulation tool with a few novel ideas that make it generic, fast, and accurate. Our major goal is to focus on modeling features common to a wide variety of CP architectures and incorporate relevant CP specific features as plug-ins. This tool not only allows user-defined packet arrival processes and code path mixtures to be tested, but also provides a way to allow the maximum sustainable line rate to be quickly estimated. Case studies based on a large number of code samples available in IXP1200/2400 workbenches show that the maximum sustainable line rates estimated using our tool are consistently within 6% of cycle-accurate simulation results. Moreover, each simulation run takes only a few seconds to finish on a Pentium III PC, which strongly demonstrates the power of this tool for fast CP performance testing.