Characteristics of Workloads Using the Pipeline Programming Model

Abstract

Pipeline parallel programming is a frequently used model to program applications on multiprocessors. Despite its popularity, there is a lack of studies of the characteristics of such workloads. This paper gives an overview of the pipeline model and its typical implementations for multiprocessors. We present implementation choices and analyze their impact on the program. We furthermore show that workloads that use the pipeline model have their own unique characteristics that should be considered when selecting a set of benchmarks. Such information can be beneficial for program developers as well as for computer architects who want to understand the behavior of applications.