Intel® Software Network

1.      Name

Software Transactional Memory

2.      Writer

[Intel Confidential List]

3.      Targeted availability

June 30^th, 2008

4.      Brief Course Description

This module is a one hour brief introduction to Transactional Memory (TM) technology. The target audience is those who have experience of parallel/concurrent programming and want to learn other synchronization alternatives to the lock mechanism.

In this module, rationale of TM will first be introduced, followed by an explanation of key concept of operating principles. The discussion focus will be on Software TM, the software implementation of TM, in which software support (compiler and libraries) and language extensions (key words) are illustrated with some code examples.

On the completion of this module, audience will understand why and how Transactional Memory works for concurrent programming with the basic knowledge of the language extension for Software Transactional Memory (STM). This will allow them to be able to try STM and decide on whether or not to use it for their applications.

5.      Needs Analysis

With multi-core processor platforms becoming mainstream, concurrent/parallel programming has grabbed more and more attention because its ability to release the full power of these processors. Yet successful concurrent/parallel programming requires practice and experience, regardless of the parallel programming techniques that have been developed for decades.

Software transactional memory (STM) is a concurrency control mechanism analogous to database transactions for controlling access to shared memory in concurrent computing. It functions as an alternative to lock-based synchronization, and is typically implemented in a lock-free way. STM has recently been the focus of intense research and support for practical im plementations has grown. This module is expected to brief the audience about that alternative for concurrent programming

6.      Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

[Intel Confidential List]

7.      Learner Analysis

The ideal student for this module is an adult learner at a university, who in addition to exhibiting the learning characteristics of adult learners, has also the following traits:

• A programmer in the C/C++ compiled programming languages, who has between 0.5 and 1 years concurrent/parallel programming experience
• could be a freshman, or sophomore or junior level programmer (1st, 2nd or 3rd year college student), or an advanced younger student
• A programmer who routinely writes simple threaded computation programs (between 10 and 100 lines) from scratch in a day or less, with no difficulty whatsoever
• these short programs routinely compile with few or no problems, or the student is well able to solve the problems to a successful compile
• A programmer who have a primary interest in writing applications for use on a many-core nature
• should have basic knowledge of compiler optimization strategies
• may already be actively seeking ways to use current  available resources more effectively to solve even more challenging problems

Special notes for Faculty Training learners/attendees

Faculty Training (FT) attendees are special cases wherein they likely have more experience than the usual target audience for this class, and, they have the immediate goal of teaching this class in a live classroom environment with targeted students.

Ideal FT candidates for this material have the following traits:

• Currently instruct or plan to instruct adult students who fit in the learner description earlier in this section
• Currently using a successful programming curriculum, or intend to soon create or teach one
• NOTE: There are no inherent limitations for instructors based on the experience or lack of it with regard to these objectives and content

Further, the course materials will use Intel® software tools to easily illuminate important concepts, but those concepts can be explained and exploited using many other tools.

8.      Context Analysis

The purpose of a Context Analysis is to identify and describe the environmental factors that inform the design of this module.  The Environmental Factors for the module include:

a.    Media Selection

                                                 i.      No Tapes, CDs, or DVDs are available or provided

                                              ii.      Electronic files are provided

1.    Can be printed out for classroom use if desired

2.    Lecture presentation is .PPT format

a.    includes instructor notes

b.    Learning Activities

                                                 i.      Lectures include optional demos for the instructor

                                              ii.      Class Q+A

c.     Participan t Materials and Instructor/Leader Guides

                                                 i.      There is a short Lecture presentation with this module

1.    Minimal instructor notes are included in PPT Notes sections

                                              ii.      An archive of class binaries, if no customized or student binaries are available

d.    Packaging and production of training materials

                                                 i.      Materials will be posted to Intel Curriculum Wiki, for worldwide use and alteration                    

e.    Training Schedule

                                                 i.      The module is 1 hour of lecture

a.    Class size is not restricted in any way by the course materials themselves

f.      Other References

                                                 i.       White paper available at http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-c-stm-compiler-prototype-edition-20

9.      Task Analysis

The relevant Job/Task Analysis for this material is defined by the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK) and can be viewed in detail here:

http://www.swebok.org

The primary Bodies of Knowledge (BKs) used include, but are not limited to:

• Software Requirements BK
• Software Design BK
• Key issues in Software Design (Concurrency)
• Data persistence, etc.
• Software Construction BK
• Software Construction Fundamentals
• Managing Construction
• Practical Considerations (Coding, Construction Testing, etc.)

Relevant IEEE standards for relevant job activities include but are not limited to:

Standards in Construction, Coding, Construction Quality IEEE12207-95

(IEEE829-98) IEEE Std 829-1998, IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation, IEEE, 1998.

(IEEE1008-87) IEEE Std 1008-1987 (R2003), IEEE Standard for Software Unit Testing, IEEE, 1987.

(IEEE1028-97) IEEE Std 1028-1997 (R2002), IEEE Standard for Software Reviews, IEEE, 1997.

(IEEE1517-99) IEEE Std 1517-1999, IEEE Standard for Information Technology-Software Life Cycle Processes- Reuse Processes, IEEE, 1999.

(IEEE12207.0-96) IEEE/EIA 12207.0-1996//ISO/IEC12207:1995, Industry Implementation of Int. Std. ISO/IEC 12207:95, Standard for Information Technology-Software Life Cycle Processes, IEEE, 1996.

10.  Concept Analysis

Transactions;

Operations of a Transaction (commit, validate, abort);

11.  Learning Objectives

                    i.            Know the rationale behind Trans actional Memory

                   ii.            Describe the major language extension of Software Transactional Memory

                 iii.            Apply STM to concurrent applications in place of more traditional synchronization.

12.  Criterion Items

Q. Name the operations of a transaction.

A. Commit, Abort, Validate

13.  Expert Appraisal

SME demo walkthrough of material. Optional Webinar on the material may be completed; if so, the Webinar will be announced on the ISC Community Forum.

14.  Developmental Testing

Alpha by the end of May'08; final by end of June’08.

15.  Production

Presentation slides deck