Incomplete Trace Data and Trace Driven Simulation

Abstract

Abstract | We illustrate the sensitivity of trace driven simulation results to the completeness of the input trace data. This is done by comparing cache simulation results obtained using traces similar to many found in the published literature with those obtained using a hardware monitor which we have developed. Cache miss rates from single process traces with-out operating system references are shown to be in error by as much as a factor of 50. Published synthetic multiprogram workloads are then shown to result in simulated cache miss rates which are in error by factors that range from 0:9 to 110. Finally, it is shown that errors of this magnitude yield misleading performance estimates. Introduction and Background Trace driven simulation has been used for many years to predict the performance of computer systems. This