Intel to enlist foreign aid in optimizing IA-64 compilers

INTEL ON THURSDAY will announce that the chip maker has brought the Chinese Academy of Science on board to assist in optimizing compilers for Intel's upcoming IA-64 processors.

Reading between the lines, my take on this is that optimising code generation for a VLIW achitecture is a tough problem. [Aside: probably made tougher by invidious patents on some of the techniques that would be natural candidates for optimisation strategies.] Incidentally, this just lends weight to my favourite derivation of the acronym RISC - Relegate Important Stuff [to the] Compiler ;-)

Here's a relevant exam question I set three years ago ;-) :

On the strength of your IA-64 assignment for the Computer Architecture and Design class you have managed to secure a summer placement with RISCCo (Relegate Important Stuff [to the] Compiler Company). Despite its name RISCCo has until now relied on its range of compilers for the traditional CISC marketplace. 95% of its sales are for its IA-32 (80x86) compilers. Realising that the IA-64 architecture represents a major opportunity, you have been recruited to advise the RISCCo compiler team on the architectural features of the IA-64 that need to be addressed in the implementation of the new compiler.

1. Write the outline notes for such a report, with diagrams where appropriate. These notes would from the basis for a presentation to the RISCCo team so make sure you cover all the major points.
   (14 marks)
    
   
2. Some of the RISCCo compiler team will also be responsible for implementing a range of compilers for common Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) architectures. Highlight those aspects of your answer to (a) that are also applicable to such RISCs.
   (6 marks)
    
   

Incidentally, I archived that 52.225 | CAD Practical - Merced assignment three years ago. It's hard to believe that my students did this work so long ago. In those days we believed that Merced was going to be released in 1999. Quite a few of the 52.225 | Merced Submissions linked to off that page have suffered link-rot since none of the students are still around, but a few submissions got archived with my pages so it's interesting to compare what the students made of Merced then with the reality of it now! Don't bother letting me know which links are broken there. It's an archive after all ;-)