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Paravirtualizing OpenGL ES in Simics
Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
2014 (English)Student thesisAlternative title
Paravirtualisering av OpenGL ES i Simics (Swedish)
Abstract [en]

CONTEXT. Full-system simulators provide benefits to developers in terms of a more rapid development cycle; since development may begin prior to that of next-generation hardware being available. However, there is a distinct lack of graphics virtualization in industry-grade virtual platforms, leading to performance issues that may obfuscate the benefits virtual platforms otherwise have over execution on actual hardware. OBJECTIVES. This dissertation concerns the implementation of graphics acceleration by the means of paravirtualizing OpenGL ES 2.0 in the Simics full-system simulator. Furthermore, this study illustrates the benefits and drawbacks of paravirtualized methodology, in addition to performance analysis and comparison with the Android emulator; which likewise utilize paravirtualization to accelerate simulated graphics. METHODS. In this study, we propose a solution for paravirtualized graphics using Magic Instructions; the implementation of which is subsequently described. Additionally, three benchmarks are devised to stress key points in the developed solution; comprising areas such as inter-system communication latency and bandwidth. Additionally, the solution is evaluated based on computationally intensive applications. RESULTS. For the purpose of this study, elapsed frame times for respective benchmarks are collected and compared with four platforms; i.e. the hardware accelerated Host machine, the paravirtualized Android emulator, the software rasterized Simics- and the paravirtualized Simics platforms. CONCLUSIONS. This thesis establishes paravirtualization as a feasible method to achieve accelerated graphics in virtual platforms. The study shows graphics acceleration of up to 34 times of that of its software rasterized counterparts. Furthermore, the study establishes magic instructions as the primary bottleneck of communication latency in the devised solution. Classification: E.1.1 [Software infrastructure]: Virtual machines; K.6.4 [Graphics systems and interfaces]: Graphics processors; N.1.0 [Companies]: Intel Corporation; Keywords: Paravirtualization; Simics;

Abstract [sv]

Arkitekturella simulatorer förser utvecklare med medel till snabbare utvecklingscykler genom att tillåta utveckling av mjukvara för nya plattformar innan dessa finns tillgängliga. Dessvärre finns det få lösningar för GPU-accelerering i moderna virtuella plattformar; vilket leder till prestandaproblem som kan hämma de fördelar som virtuella plattformar har över exekvering på hårdvara. Denna uppsats angår implementering av grafikaccelerering genom paravirtualisering av OpenGL ES 2.0 i systemsimulatorn Simics. Studien sammanfattar fördelar och nackdelar av paravirtualiserade metoder, med hänsyn till prestandaanalys och jämförelse med Android-emulatorn; som också nyttjar paravirtualisering för att accelerera simulerad grafik. Vi föreslår grafikaccelering genom paravirtualisering m.h.a. magiska instruktioner; vars implementation sammanfattas i uppsatsen. Vidare presenteras tre utvärderingsprov vars syfte är att påfresta nyckelpunkter i den paravirtualiserade lösningen, så som systemlatens och bandbredd i kommunikation mellan simulering och den verkliga världen. Lösningen evalueras även baserat på ett prestandakrävande utvärderingstest. För experimentet, som presenteras i denna uppsats, samlas uppdateringsfrekvens för de grafiska utvärderingstesten och jämförs med exekvering på fyra olika plattformar. Dessa plattformar omfattar ett hårdvaruaccelerat referens-system, paravirtualiserad simulering m.h.a. Android-emulator, mjukvarurastrerad Simics-simulering, och paravirtualiserad Simics-simulering. Uppsatsen fastställer paravirtualisering som en god metod för att uppnå grafikaccelering i virtuella plattformar. Studien påvisar prestandaförbättringar motsvarande 34 gånger jämförelsevis med dess mjukvarurastrerade motpart. Vidare presenterar uppsatsen magiska instruktioner som den primära flaskhalsen i den utvecklade lösningen.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2014. , p. 78
Keywords [en]
Paravirtualization, Simics
National Category
Computer Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:bth-3979Local ID: oai:bth.se:arkivex23D546604FF4CEE2C1257D0200348A97OAI: oai:DiVA.org:bth-3979DiVA, id: diva2:831296
Educational program
PAACI Master of Science in Game and Software Engineering
Uppsok
Technology
Supervisors
Note

OFFICE eric.nilsson@intel.com +46 8 690 0734 HOME EricNNilsson@gmail.com +46 73 656 4535

Available from: 2015-04-22 Created: 2014-06-25 Last updated: 2018-01-11Bibliographically approved

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