Computer Memory Hierarchy

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Computer Memory Hierarchy

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The title of Unit 2, Computer Memory Hierarchy, clearly identifies the theme of this unit. There are four topics covered in Unit 2, as follows:
• The Memory Hierarchy: Locality and Performance
• Cache Memory (Direct Mapped, Fully Associative, Set Associative)
• Main Memory (Virtual Memory, Address Translation, TLBs)
• External Memory
In this assignment, we will cover the basic concepts and their relationship involved in all four topics. You will be required to demonstrate the correct understanding of these concepts and the connections or differences among them by reviewing two proposals of building a cost-effective computer-based storage system.
To assist you in completing this assignment, please first read through all of the sections in the brief introduction, which provide a quick tutorial on all of the critical concepts associated with these four topics. These reading materials will help you review the two proposals.
Introduction
The Memory Hierarchy: Locality and Performance
First, read through the Concept of Memory Hierarchy. (https://medium.com/@barbaradecares/the-memory-hierarchy-f9c3016d7cba) 
After reading the article, you now know that a good computer memory design must meet the following three requirements simultaneously:
• Have a large capacity
• Be high-speed
• Have a low cost
Cache Memory
The concept of cache memory can be clearly summarized as follows:
Cache memory is a special, very high-speed memory. It is used to speed up and synchronize with a high-speed CPU. Cache memory is costlier than main memory or disk memory but more economical than CPU registers. Cache memory is an extremely fast memory type that acts as a buffer between RAM and the CPU. It holds frequently requested data and instructions so that they are immediately available to the CPU when needed.
Cache memory is used to reduce the average time to access data from the main memory. The cache is a smaller and faster memory that stores copies of the data from frequently used main memory locations. There are various independent caches in a CPU, which store instructions and data. (Taneja & Bhatia, 2020)
 
(Taneja & Bhatia, 2020)
Another important concept that is closely related to cache is the address mapping between the memory address and the main memory’s storage blocks’ address. There are three types of address mapping techniques, as follows:
• Direct mapping
• Fully associative mapping
• Set associative mapping
For more details about these mappings, read this article on Cache Memory. (https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/cache-memory/) .
Main Memory
The main memory is also called primary memory. The main memory communicates directly with the central processing unit (CPU) and “allows the computer to store data for immediate manipulation and to keep track of what is currently being processed” (InformationQ.com, 2017). It is also volatile in nature, which means that “when the power is turned off, the contents of the primary memory are lost forever” (InformationQ.com, 2017). The main memory can be further classified into two categories: random-access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). 
Read this article on Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM) (https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/random-access-memory-ram-and-read-only-memory-rom/) to help you understand the relationship between the cache memory and the main memory.
The most important concept that is used for main memory management is called virtual memory. Every CPU has a memory management unit (MMU) to store a cache of recently used mappings from the page table, which holds the pages in the virtual memory, to the frames in the physical memory of the main memory. This cache is called the TLB. Whenever a virtual address is used, the TLB is searched first. If the mapped physical frame cannot be found in the main memory, then a page fault interrupt will be issued, allowing for external memory to be searched and brought into the main memory.
Read this article on Virtual Memory (https://people.cs.pitt.edu/~xianeizhang/notes/vm.html) for further explanations of the working principles of the page table and the TLB.
External Memory
External memory is also called secondary memory and can be defined as follows:
[It] refers to the various storage media on which a computer can store data and programs. The Secondary storage media can be fixed or removable. Fixed Storage media is an internal storage medium like hard disk that is fixed inside the computer. Storage medium that are portable and can be taken outside the computer are termed as removable storage media. (Abby akku & Agarwal, n.d.)
In addition to the hard disk, internal flash memory (rare) and a solid-state disk (SSD) unit are also often used as fixed storage media More examples of removable storage media include the following:
• CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs
• Memory cards
• Floppy disks
• Magnetic tapes
• Punched paper tapes or cards
Read this article on Secondary Memory (https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/secondary-memory/) for more details about external memory.
Assignment Details
A start-up company wants to build a cost-effective computer-based data storage system that must meet the following requirements:
• Reliable
• Cost-effective
• Easy to implement
• Scalable when the data volume increases
• Able to retrieve and save data quickly
A consulting company has provided the start-up company with two proposals. The specifications of the two proposals are given below.
Proposal 1
The first proposal overview for the computer-based data storage system is as follows:
 
Overview of a Computer-Based Storage System of Proposal 1
Some visible architectural features of the first proposal include the following:
• Uses multicore processing
• Uses a memory hierarchy
• Uses multilevel cache memory
• Multithreads a single task
Proposal 2
The second proposal overview for the computer-based data storage system is as follows:
 
Overview of a Computer-Based Storage System of Proposal 2
Some visible architectural features of the second proposal include the following:
• Uses multi-processors
• Uses a memory hierarchy
• Built-in main memory extendibility
• Parallel processing for multiple tasks at a given time
Your assignment is to review each of the two proposals carefully, and then write a short report that answers each of the following questions:
• What are the architectural features of the data storage system in each proposal?
• What are the pros and cons of each proposal?
• What are your recommendations to further improve each proposal?
Please use the following layout for your report:
• Cover page
o Course number
o Student name
o Date
• Content (2 pages)
o Introduction
? Purpose or background of the report
? System requirements
o Design Proposals
? Design Proposal 1 (Reference or copy the Specification of the Proposal 1 of Unit 2 IP)
? Design Proposal 2 (Reference or copy the Specification of the Proposal 2 of Unit 2 IP)
o Architectural Futures
? Architectural features of the computer system used in Proposal 1
? Architectural features of the computer system used in Proposal 2
o Pros and Cons 
? Pros and cons of Proposal 1
? Pros and cons of Proposal 2
o Final Recommendation
? Recommended changes to each proposal
? Justification of the recommended changes
o Conclusion
? Main takeaways of your review
 
 
Grading Criteria
Expectation Points Possible Points Earned Comments
Architecture Features: Students should identify some architecture features of various types of memories under the discussion. 35
Identify the Difference: Students should identify the difference between two proposals. 35
Recommendations: Students need to propose at least one recommendation to each proposal. 30
Organization: Assignment presents information logically and is clearly relevant to discussion topic. 15
Professional Language: Assignment contains accurate grammar, spelling, and/or punctuation with few or no errors. 10
Total Points 125

 
 

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