NERSC proxy suite

NERSC is developing a suite of proxies that are representative of the NERSC workload, these range from micro-kernels to mini-applications.

With the recent explosion of novel computer architectures, due to a combination of slowing of Moore’s law, the end of Denard scaling, the emergence of deep learning in scientific workflows and a corresponding proliferation of programming models, application developers face new challenges to keep pace and deliver optimized codes.

In this era of specialization, computer architects also face the issue of effectively tailoring new platforms to specific workloads. For example, working with full applications is often not compatible with simulation tools used in early stages of architectural design.

In response to these challenges a number of benchmark suites have been developed with a range of priorities: ECP proxy applications, Parallel Research Kernels, Mantevo, HPCC, and others.

The primary goals of this effort are to capture characteristics of NERSC’s workload that are not exposed in other existing efforts and to enable codesign of hardware and programming models to best meet the needs of the scientific community.

The suite can be accessed at https://gitlab.com/NERSC/nersc-proxies and is open to contributions. It is under active development and new proxies, kernels, mini-apps and implementations with new programming models will be published as they become available.