Motivation
As multicore desktop computers are quickly becoming ubiquitous, multicore programming techniques are becoming increasingly important to achieving performance goals. Expertise in multi-core programming represents a significant gap in currently available graduate training in Canada. The 2nd Annual Carleton Cell BE Programming Workshop (CCPW-2009) to be held at Carleton University May 13-15, 2009 will address this gap through tutorial sessions, hands-on labs, keynote presentations, and scientific talks.
The STI Cell Broadband Engine (Cell BE) has shown the potential to provide outstanding performance, scalability, and flexibility in applications with high data parallelism, such as dense and sparse matrix operations, image processing, and encryption. The Cell BE processor is based on a novel heterogeneous multi-core architecture that consists of nine independent on-chip processing units, including a dual-threaded Power Processor Element (PPE) and eight Synergistic Processor Elements (SPEs). This unconventional design of heterogeneous cores along with the explicit and special memory arrangement require careful consideration of data partitioning and task scheduling at the application level to attain maximum execution efficiency. On the other hand, the Cell BE processor offers a vast number of parallelization options to application developers and presents a unique opportunity to study new parallel programming paradigms for the multi-core/many-core era.
Registration Information
Option A: Full workshop registration
Option B: Keynote and Networking Event Only
Includes: All workshops, May 14 networking event, breakfasts, lunches, breaks. Target Audience: Students and researchers with an interest in multi-core computing. Location: 508 Architecture Building, Carleton University <map>. Cost: $50 Link: www.regonline.ca/cellbe
Includes: Keynote address by David Bader, and wine&cheese networking event with poster fair. Target Audience: Industry decision makers wanting to learn more about multi-core computing. Location: Keynote in 5050 Minto Building, Networking in Art Gallery, Carleton University <map>. Cost: FREE Link: www.regonline.ca/cellbe or via email to James Green
Program
This year's symposium includes numerous activities:
- Keynote Speakers
- David Bader, Georgia Tech, "Accelerating Scientific Computing with the Cell Broadband Engine Processor"
- Michael Perrone, IBM Watson Research Center, "Multicore Programming Challenges" - Invited Sessions by Industry partners (IBM, Coconut)
- Hands-on introductory Tutorials
- Hands-on advanced Tutorials with focus on application development
- Best Poster award
- Various events for interaction and discussion (including a workshop Reception and an off-campus Social)
See the pictures for the 2009 workshop!.
Detailed agenda
All session held in 508 Architecture Building unless otherwise noted belowWednesday:Thursday:
- 9-10, Opening Keynote Address: Multicore Programming Challenges, Dr. Michael Perrone, IBM Watson Research Center.
- 10-12:30, Hands-on introduction to the Cell BE, Dr. Michael Perrone, IBM Watson Research Center.
- 12:30-1:30, Lunch in Fresh Food Company, 3rd floor of Residence Commons
- 1:30-5, Hands-on introduction to the Cell BE con't, Dr. Michael Perrone, IBM Watson Research Center.
- Optional social event on the Wed evening will leave from 508 Architecture. Free O-train ride to Malone's at Dow's Lake Pavilion. Directions.
Friday:
- 9-12:30, Advanced Cell BE programming and optimization techniques, Dr. Michael Perrone, IBM Watson Research Center
- 12:30-1:30, Lunch in Fresh Food Company, 3rd floor of Residence Commons
- 1:30-5, Advanced Cell BE programming and optimization techniques con't, Dr. Michael Perrone, IBM Watson Research Center
- 5-6pm, Keynote address in 5050 Minto Centre, David Bader, Georgia Tech
- 6-8pm, Networking and Poster Session, Carleton University Art Gallery
- 9-11:30am, Dr. Christopher Anand, 'Coconut (Code Constructing User Tool) hands-on demo'
- 11:30-11:40, Coffee break
- 11:40-1:00, Invited Speakers from extended abstract submissions:
- Frank Dehne, Glenn Hickey, Andrew Rau-Chaplin and Mark Byrne - Parallel Catastrophe Modelling on a Cell Processor
- Qi Liu and Gabriel Wainer - A Parallel Environment for Leveraging Cell Broadband Engine in Large-scale Discrete-Event Simulation
- David Moises Fernandez, Dennis Giannacopoulos and Warren Gross - Efficient Multicore Sparse Matrix-Vector Multiplication for Finite Element Electromagnetics on the Cell-BE Processor
- Kevin Browne - Coconut Multicore Framework: Static Analysis Assisted Scheduling
- 1-3pm, Awards Luncheon in Frontenac Multi-purpose Room, Frontenac Residence Building.
Extended Abstracts:
QI LIU and GABRIEL WAINER. A Parallel Environment for Leveraging Cell Broadband Engine in Large-scale Discrete-Event Simulation
- Yuri Boiko and Gabriel Wainer. Parallel tracing of multiple trajectories in gradient descent algorithm with Cell BE
- Frank Dehne, Glenn Hickey, Andrew Rau-Chaplin and Mark Byrne. Parallel Catastrophe Modelling on a Cell Processor
- Leonardo mattes, Jussara Kofuji and Roberto Hiramatsu. Finite-Difference Time-Domain on cluster of Cell/B.E. Processor
- Roberto Hiramatsu, Jussara Kofuji, Sergio Kofuji, Leonardo Mattes and Leonardo Garcia. FaceID: Benchmarks for Face Detection Algorithms Using Cell
- Kevin Browne. Coconut Multicore Framework: Static Analysis Assisted Scheduling
- Stephen Adams. N-Body Simulation on the Cell BE: Elementary Design Principals
- Hamidreza Zaboli and Frank Dehne. Fundamental Algorithm Techniques For Many-Core Processors: GPUs
- Hanan Mahmoud, Robert Peace and James Green. Peptide Sequence Tag Identification Using the Cell BE
- Rahul Rohra, Ravishankar Kanagasundaram and James Green. Accelerating Nonlinear System Identification using the Cell BE Processor
- David Moises Fernandez, Dennis Giannacopoulos and Warren Gross. Efficient multicore sparse matrix-vector multiplication for finite element electromagnetics on the cell-be processor.
Intended Audience
Beginners who are new to multi-core computing will benefit from all three days of the workshop, especially the hands-on tutorials.Intermediate users may wish to join us for days 2 and 3 and are encouraged to submit posters.
Industry managers interested in the future of multi-core computing may want to join us for the Keynote Address, Poster Fair, and Wine & Cheese on Thursday 14 May.
Student Support
There will be a limited number of travel grants for graduate students with accepted posters/talks, including free registration. There will also be opportunities for students to volunteer and help with the workshop organization.
Location
The workshop will be located at Carleton University - see the annotated map. Registration will be outside room 508 of the Architecture Building (Building AA).
Important Dates
30 April 2009: Extended abstract submission deadline. Final deadline!6 May 2009: Author notification
13-15 May 2009: Workshop
Call for Extended Abstracts 
(Note new submission deadline of 30 April)
CCPW-2009 invites submissions of extended abstracts (2 pages) to be considered for peer review. Accepted abstracts will be
presented as technical talks or as posters during a wine & cheese event open to industry. (Note new submission deadline of 30 April)Online submission system: http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ccpw2009
Program Committee
Christopher Anand, McMaster UniversityFrank Dehne, Carleton University
Michel Dumontier, Carleton University
Robert Enenkel, IBM Center for Advanced Studies Toronto
James Green, Carleton University
Warren Gross, McGill University
Trevor Pearce, Carleton University
Michael Perrone, IBM TJ Watson Lab
Raymond Spiteri, University of Saskatchewan
Gabriel Wainer, Carleton University
Organizers
- Frank Dehne, School of Computer Science, Carleton University
- Michel Dumontier, Department of Biology and School of Computer Science, Carleton University
- James Green, Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, Carleton University
- Gabriel Wainer, Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, Carleton University