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Wait-free shared-memory irradiance caching

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Debattista, Kurt, Dubla, Piotr, Santos, Luis Paulo and Chalmers, Alan. (2011) Wait-free shared-memory irradiance caching. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, Vol.31 (No.5). pp. 66-78. ISSN 0272-1716

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/MCG.2010.80

Abstract

Parallelizing rendering algorithms to exploit multiprocessor and multicore machines isn't straightforward. Certain methods require frequent synchronization among threads to obtain benefits similar to the sequential algorithm. One such algorithm is the irradiance cache (IC), an acceleration data structure that caches indirect diffuse irradiance values. In multicore systems, the threads must share the IC to achieve high efficiency. A proposed wait-free mechanism for accessing the shared IC doesn't use the common blocking or busy-waiting methods, thus avoiding most serialization and reducing contention. A comparison with two classic approaches-a lock-based mechanism and a local-write technique-on two systems with up to 24 cores shows that the wait-free approach significantly reduces synchronization overhead, thus improving performance. The Web extra PDF augments the article. The Web extra video is an animation that demonstrates the wait-free IC system running at close to interactive rates on an 8-core machine.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Electronic computers. Computer science. Computer software
T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > WMG (Formerly the Warwick Manufacturing Group)

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Rendering (Computer graphics), Parallel processing (Electronic computers), Cache memory

Journal or Publication Title:

IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications

Publisher:

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

ISSN:

0272-1716

Official Date:

September 2011

Dates:

Date	Event
September 2011	Published

Volume:

Vol.31

Number:

No.5

Number of Pages:

Page Range:

pp. 66-78

Identification Number:

10.1109/MCG.2010.80

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Restricted or Subscription Access

Funder:

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

Grant number:

PT-DC/EIA/65965/2006 (FCT), EP/D069874/2 (EPSRC)

References:

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