Step 4: Identify Software Application Parallelization Needs - 2021.2 English

Vitis Unified Software Platform Documentation: Application Acceleration Development (UG1393)

Document ID
UG1393
Release Date
2022-03-29
Version
2021.2 English

While the hardware device and its kernels are designed to offer potential parallelism, the software application must be engineered to take advantage of this potential parallelism.

Parallelism in the software application is the ability for the host application to:

  • Minimize idle time and do other tasks while the device kernels are running.
  • Keep the device kernels active performing new computations as early and often as possible.
  • Optimize data transfers to and from the device.
Figure 1. Software Optimization Goals

In the world of factories and assembly lines, the host application would be the headquarters keeping busy and planning the next generation of products while the factories manufacture the current generation.

Similarly, headquarters must orchestrate the transport of goods to and from the factories and send them requests. What is the point of building many factories if the logistics department does not send them raw material or blueprints of what to create?