SimNet: Accurate and High-Performance Computer Architecture Simulation using Deep Learning

Lingda Li, Santosh Pandey, Thomas Flynn, Hang Liu, Noel Wheeler, Adolfy Hoisie

Abstract: While cycle-accurate simulators are essential tools for architecture research, design, and development, their practicality is limited by an extremely long time-to-solution for realistic applications under investigation. This work describes a concerted effort, where machine learning (ML) is used to accelerate microarchitecture simulation. First, an ML-based instruction latency prediction framework that accounts for both static instruction properties and dynamic processor states is constructed. Then, a GPU-accelerated parallel simulator is implemented based on the proposed instruction latency predictor, and its simulation accuracy and throughput are validated and evaluated against a state-of-the-art simulator. Leveraging modern GPUs, the ML-based simulator outperforms traditional CPU-based simulators significantly.