vPIM: Processing-in-Memory Virtualization

Data movement is the leading cause of performance degradation and energy consumption in modern data centers. Processing inmemory (PIM) is an architecture that addresses data movement by bringing computation inside the memory chips. This paper is the first to study the virtualization of PIM devices by designing and implementing vPIM, an open-source UPMEM-based virtualization system for the cloud. Our vPIM design considers four requirements: Compatibility such that no hardware and no hypervisor changes are needed; Multiplexing and isolation for a higher utilization ratio; Utilizability and transparency such that applications written for PIM can be efficiently run out-of-the-box, leading to rapid adoption; Minimalization of virtualization performance overhead.