Subj : Re: A multithreading benchmark
To   : comp.programming.threads
From : Uenal Mutlu
Date : Tue Jun 07 2005 02:02 pm

"chris noonan" <usenet@leapheap.co.uk> wrote
> I am designing a benchmark program for investigating
> multithreaded performance. I will use the program
> for comparing various heap managers, but it is bound
> to be useful for other purposes.
>
> These are the design criteria I have so far:
>
> 1. The benchmark will be semi-synthetic, in that
> it will be constructed for the stated purpose,
> but will perform some useful task, and could be
> mistaken for a 'real' application.
>
> 2. The program will take the server role of a
> client-server system, and will run on a
> thread-per-connection basis.
>
> 3. There will be a fixed amount of work, the
> number of threads will be parameterisable for
> each run of the benchmark, and the workload
> will be divided between however many threads
> there are.
>
> 4. The program will be coded in C++ in natural
> style.
>
> 5. The dynamic memory profile of the running
> benchmark will conform as far as possible to
> empirical measurements of average allocation
> size, duration etc. to be found in the
> literature.
>
> Anything else worth considering?
>
> Initially the program will be targeted to
> Microsoft Windows platforms, as there is a
> dearth of suitable benchmarks.
>
> Is there some way of simulating a number of
> clients without the complication of having
> multiple machines and real network connections?

A benchmark for thread performance should be done completely
on the same one local machine. Once on a single CPU machine
and then on a multiple CPU machine.
Adding other factors like network etc. would disturb the benchmark.

.