Integration of Machine Organization and Control Program Design—Review and Direction

This paper discusses the relationship between machine organization and control program design in high-end commercial computer systems. The criterion is cost/performance, subject to achieving an acceptable performance level. A brief discussion of the environment expected for the design and operation of high-end commercial computer systems is outlined, followed by a discussion of machine organization techniques which are classified and reviewed to permit a qualitative evaluation of the degree to which control program intent is exploited in machine organization. The thesis is developed next, using a hierarchical model which illustrates the contention that architecture has acted as a barrier to communication between the control program and machine organization. Examples of techniques that exploit knowledge of the intent of the control program and comments on the methodology that might be used to investigate such techniques follow. Directions for further research are then proposed.