Parallel Performance and Tuning

1. Introduction to Parallel Computing

 Understanding parallelism in computing
 Importance of parallel processing for performance improvement
2. Parallel Performance Metrics and Analysis
 Overview of metrics used to measure parallel performance
 Techniques for analyzing parallel code performance
 Profiling tools and methodologies for performance analysis
3. Parallelization Techniques
 Approaches to parallelization (e.g., task parallelism, data parallelism)
 Parallel programming models (e.g., OpenMP, MPI, CUDA)
 Best practices and considerations for effective parallelization
4. Optimizing Parallel Performance
 Identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks in parallel code
 Strategies for load balancing and minimizing overhead
 Tuning techniques to enhance parallel execution efficiency
5. Parallel Performance Tools and Environments
 Overview of tools, compilers, and environments for parallel programming
 Benchmarking and testing methodologies for parallel applications
6. Parallel Performance Engineering Process
 Understanding the phases of the performance engineering process
 Steps involved in process
7. Sequential vs Parallel Performance

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1. Introduction to Parallel Computing

Parallel computing is a type of computation in which many calculations or processes are

carried out simultaneously. This is achieved by breaking down a large problem into smaller,
independent tasks that can be executed concurrently on multiple processors or computers.

Parallelism in computing is the ability to perform multiple tasks or computations

simultaneously. This can be achieved through various hardware and software techniques,
such as multi-core processors, GPUs, and parallel programming models.

1.1. Importance of parallel processing for performance improvement:

 Reduced execution time: By dividing a problem into smaller tasks and executing
them concurrently, parallel processing can significantly reduce the overall execution
time compared to sequential processing.
 Increased efficiency: Parallel processing can improve the utilization of available
computing resources, leading to greater efficiency and throughput.
 Improved scalability: Parallel computing can be scaled up by adding more
processors or computers, making it well-suited for solving large and complex
problems.
2. Parallel Performance Metrics and Analysis
2.1. Metrics:
 Speedup: The ratio of the execution time of a program on a single processor to its
execution time on multiple processors.
 Efficiency: The speedup achieved divided by the number of processors used.
 Overhead: The extra time and resources spent on managing parallel execution, such
as synchronization and communication.
 Scalability: The ability of a program to maintain good performance as the number of
processors increases.
2.2. Tools for Analysing Performance:
 Profilers: These tools help identify which parts of the code are taking the most time,
allowing developers to focus their optimization efforts.

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  Scalability analysis: This helps determine how the program performs on different
numbers of processors and identify potential bottlenecks.
 Debugging tools: These tools help diagnose problems with communication and
synchronization in parallel programs.
3. Parallelization Techniques

There are two main approaches to parallelization:

 Task parallelism: This involves dividing a task into multiple subtasks that can be
executed concurrently.
 Data parallelism: This involves dividing a large data set into smaller parts that can be
processed concurrently.
3.1. Programming Models:
 OpenMP: A shared-memory model for parallelizing programs on multi-core
processors.
 MPI: A message-passing model for parallelizing programs on distributed-memory
systems.
 CUDA: A model for programming GPUs for data-parallel applications.
3.2. Best Practices for Effective Parllel Performance:
 Identifying independent tasks/data: Focus on parallelizing tasks or data that are
independent and can be processed without dependencies.
 Minimizing overhead: Reduce communication and synchronization overhead to
maximize performance.
 Load balancing: Ensure that work is evenly distributed among available processors to
avoid bottlenecks.
4. Optimizing Parallel Performance
4.1. Identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks

Identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks are crucial for achieving optimal
performance in parallel applications. Bottlenecks can arise from various sources, such as:

 Communication overhead: Excessive communication between processors can

significantly impact performance.

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  Load imbalance: Uneven distribution of work among processors can lead to some
processors being idle while others are overloaded.
 Memory contention: Multiple processors accessing the same memory location
concurrently can lead to performance degradation.
4.2. Strategies to Optimize Performance:
 Tuning communication: Optimizing communication protocols and data structures
can reduce communication overhead.
 Load balancing: Dynamically adjusting work distribution can help ensure efficient
utilization of resources.
 Data locality: Arranging data in memory to minimize communication and memory
access times.

This process is iterative in nature, requiring repeated measurement, analysis, and

optimization to achieve optimal performance.

5. Parallel Performance Tools and Environments

Several tools and environments facilitate parallel programming and performance analysis:

 Compilers: Compilers can provide information and optimization options for parallel
programs.
 Performance profilers: Tools like gprof and Intel VTune Amplifier help identify
performance bottlenecks.
 Scalability analysis tools: Tools like Scalasca and HPCToolkit help analyze parallel
program scalability.
 Parallel debuggers: Tools like TotalView and NVIDIA Nsight help debug parallel
programs with complex communication patterns.
5.1. Performance Benchmarking

Benchmarking typically involves the measurement of metrics for a particular type of

evaluation

 Standardize on an experimentation methodology

 Standardize on a collection of benchmark programs
 Standardize on set of metrics

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Techniques:

 High-Performance Linpack (HPL) for Top 500

 NAS Parallel Benchmarks
 SPEC
 Typically look at MIPS and FLOPS

SPEC: The Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) provides a suite of

benchmarking tools and benchmarks for measuring the performance of computer systems
in various domains, including CPU, graphics, and more.

Metrics like MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second) and FLOP (Floating-Point Operations
Per Second) are often used to measure the computational capabilities of processors and
systems.

6. Parallel Performance Engineering Process

1. Preparation:

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  Define goals and requirements: Clearly define the performance objectives for the
parallel application and identify the metrics to be used for evaluation.
 Understand the application and hardware: Analyze the application's structure and
identify potential areas for parallelization. Understand the hardware capabilities and
limitations of the target environment.
 Choose appropriate tools and environments: Select profiling tools, performance
analysis tools, and parallel programming models based on the application and
hardware requirements.

2. Implementation:

 Parallelize the application: Implement parallel algorithms and programming models

to utilize multiple processors effectively.
 Test and verify functionality: Ensure the parallel implementation is functionally
correct and behaves as expected.

3. Performance analysis:

 Measure performance: Use profiling tools to measure execution time, resource

utilization, communication overhead, and other relevant metrics.
 Identify bottlenecks: Analyze the performance data to identify the root causes of
performance limitations.
 Understand communication patterns: Analyze communication patterns between
processors to identify potential communication overhead and inefficiencies.

4. Program Tuning:

 Optimize communication: Reduce communication overhead by minimizing data

transfers and optimizing communication protocols.
 Balance the load: Ensure work is evenly distributed among processors to prevent
idle processors and underutilized resources.
 Optimize memory access: Arrange data in memory to minimize access times and
improve locality.
 Algorithm tuning: Adapt algorithms to exploit parallelism and reduce
synchronization dependencies.

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  Fine-tuning: Apply compiler optimizations and other low-level techniques to further
improve performance.

5. Production:

 Deploy the application: Deploy the optimized parallel application in the production
environment.
 Monitor performance: Continuously monitor the application's performance and
identify any potential regressions or performance degradation.

 Repeat the process: As the application evolves and hardware changes, revisit the
performance engineering process to identify new optimization opportunities and
maintain optimal performance.

7. Sequential Performance vs. Parallel Performance

Sequential performance refers to the performance of a program when it is executed on a

single processor, one instruction at a time. The time it takes for the program to complete
depends on the number of instructions it needs to execute and the speed of the processor.

Parallel performance refers to the performance of a program when it is executed on

multiple processors simultaneously. By dividing the work into independent tasks and
executing them concurrently, parallel processing can significantly reduce the overall
execution time compared to sequential processing.

Sequential Performance Tuning

Tuning a program's sequential performance involves identifying and eliminating bottlenecks

that slow down its execution. Several techniques can be used for this purpose:

 Profiling: Identifying the parts of the code that take the most time to execute.
 Optimization: Modifying the code to improve its efficiency and reduce its execution
time.
 Algorithmic changes: Choosing and adapting algorithms designed for efficient
execution on a single processor.
 Compiler optimization: Utilizing compiler flags and options to optimize the code for
the specific target architecture.

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These techniques can significantly improve the performance of a program even when it is
executed on a single processor.

Parallel Performance Tuning

Tuning a program's parallel performance involves optimizing its execution across multiple
processors. This requires additional considerations beyond the techniques used for
sequential performance tuning:

 Communication optimization: Minimizing the amount of communication required

between processors to reduce overhead.
 Load balancing: Ensuring that work is evenly distributed among available processors
to avoid bottlenecks.
 Data locality: Arranging data in memory to minimize communication and memory
access times.
 Algorithmic parallelization: Choosing and adapting algorithms suitable for parallel
execution with minimal dependencies and synchronization requirements.
 Parallel programming models: Utilizing appropriate parallel programming models
like OpenMP, MPI, or CUDA to manage concurrency and communication effectively.

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