Shared Virtual Memory: Progress and Challenges

Report ID: TR-552-97
Author: Iftode, Liviu / Singh, Jaswinder Pal
Date: 1997-10-00
Pages: 10
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Abstract:

When the idea of implementing a shared address space in software at page granularity across a network of computers---i.e. the shared virtual memory or SVM approach---was first introduced, few would have predicted that a decade would not be enough to exhaust its research potential or even understand its performance capabilities. Software shared memory became a very active research area, with many groups designing new protocols, consistency models and systems. These groups inspired and motivated one another, building on one another's ideas to push performance higher. This paper places the multi-track flow of ideas and results so far in a framework, with the goal of identifying the lessons learned so far and the major remaining challenges.