Using Remote Memory to Avoid Disk Thrashing: A Simulation Study

The increasing use of high-bandwidth and low-latency networks make possible the use of remote (network) memory as an alternative to disk means of storing an application’s data, because remote-to-local memory transfers over a modern interconnection network are faster than traditional disk-to-memory transfers. In this paper we explore the possibility of using the remote memory as (i) a (fasterthan-disk) backing store, (ii) an extension of main memory accessed using single (remote) memory references, and (iii) as a combination of both. We use execution driven simulation to investigate the performance impact the use of remote memory has on several real programs. We conclude that even for today’s low throughput networks, using remote memory as a place for storing (some) of an application’s data may result in significant performance improvements, which will continue to get higher, as the disparity between disk transfer rates and network transfer rates continues to increase.