Learning-Based Workload Phase Classification and Prediction Using Performance Monitoring Counters

Predicting coarse-grain variations in workload behavior during execution is essential for dynamic resource optimization of processor systems. Researchers have proposed various methods to first classify workloads into phases and then learn their long-term phase behavior to predict and anticipate phase changes. Early studies on phase prediction proposed table-based phase predictors. More recently, simple learning-based techniques such as decision trees have been explored. However, more recent advances in machine learning have not been applied to phase prediction so far. Furthermore, existing phase predictors have been studied only in connection with specific phase classifiers even though there is a wide range of classification methods. Early work in phase classification proposed various clustering methods that required access to source code. Some later studies used performance monitoring counters, but they only evaluated classifiers for specific contexts such as thermal modeling.In this work, we perform a comprehensive study of source-oblivious phase classification and prediction methods using hardware counters. We adapt classification techniques that were used with different inputs in the past and compare them to state-of-the-art hardware counter based classifiers. We further evaluate the accuracy of various phase predictors when coupled with different phase classifiers and evaluate a range of advanced machine learning techniques, including SVMs and LSTMs for workload phase prediction. We apply classification and prediction approaches to SPEC workloads running on an Intel Core-i9 platform. Results show that a two-level kmeans clustering combined with SVM-based phase change prediction provides the best tradeoff between accuracy and long-term stability. Additionally, the SVM predictor reduces the average prediction error by 80% when compared to a table-based predictor.