Performance Modeling, Benchmarking and Simulation of High Performance Computer Systems

10:30 - 11:00
Determining Levels of Detail for Simulators of Parallel and Distributed Computing Systems via Automated Calibration

Jesse McDonald, Yick-Ching Wong, Henri Casanova
University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA

Kshitij Mehta, Frederic Suter, Rafael Ferreira Da Silva
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA

Loic Pottier
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA

Ewa Deelman
University of Southern California, USA

There are two sources of inaccuracy when simulating parallel and distributed computing systems: (i) a simulator implemented at an insufficient level of detail; and (ii) incorrectly calibrated simulation parameter values. Increasing the simulator’s level of detail can improve accuracy, but at the cost of higher space, time, and/or software complexity. Furthermore, evaluating the intrinsic accuracy of a simulator requires that its parameters be well-calibrated. Making decisions regarding the level of detail is thus challenging. We propose a methodology for instantiating the simulation calibration process and a framework for automating this process, which makes it possible to pick appropriate levels of detail for any simulator. We demonstrate the usefulness of our approach via two case studies for two different domains.