IEEE Micro, a bimonthly publication of the IEEE Computer Society, reaches an international audience of microcomputer and microprocessor designers, system integrators, and users. Readers want to increase their technical knowledge and learn the latest industry trends.

Scope

IEEE Micro addresses users and designers of microprocessors and microprocessor systems, including managers, engineers, consultants, educators, and students involved with computers and peripherals, components and subassemblies, communications, instrumentation and control equipment, and guidance systems. Contributions should relate to the design, performance, or application of microprocessors and microcomputers. Tutorials, review papers, and discussions are also welcome. Sample topic areas include architecture, communications, data acquisition, control, hardware and software design/implementation, algorithms (including program listings), digital signal processing, microprocessor support hardware, operating systems, computer aided design, languages, application software, and development systems.

Special Issue on Cache Coherent Interconnects and Resource Disaggregation Techniques
Submission Date: 2024-10-23

In the era of exponential data growth, modern data centers and large-scale computing environments are challenged by the limitations of traditional, monolithic system designs that tightly integrate compute, memory, and storage resources. These conventional, all-integrated systems confront significant difficulties including resource over-provisioning, under-utilization, and hitting the memory capacity wall, highlighting the urgent need for innovative architectures. Resource disaggregation emerges as a compelling paradigm, promising to break down such monolithic system architectures into pools of shared, distributed resources. However, the transition to disaggregated resources introduces its own set of challenges, including the need for significant code refactoring, potential performance penalties, substantial new hardware investments, increased complexity in system maintenance, and security concerns. Amidst this landscape, cache coherent interconnects, like Intel’s Ultra Path Interconnect (UPI)/QuickPath Interconnect (QPI), AMD’s Infinity Fabric, and Compute Express Link (CXL), offer a promising solution for disaggregated resources. By facilitating efficient access to remote memory through cache coherence for minimal latency and overhead, these interconnects are poised to significantly enhance the feasibility of resource disaggregation. This special issue of IEEE Micro seeks articles on the cutting-edge developments in cache coherent interconnects and their role in enabling resource disaggregation across computing, memory, and storage. Topics include, but are not limited to:

    Coherent Interconnect Protocols and Models for Resource Disaggregation Systems.
    Software/Hardware Co-Designs for High-Performance Disaggregated Coherency Management.
    Processor/Accelerator Designs Oriented towards Management in Coherent Disaggregated Systems. 
    Application-Architecture Co-Designs, Exploiting Coherent Disaggregation Techniques.
    Reliability, Testability, and Debuggability of Coherent Disaggregation Systems.
    Applications Based on Coherent Interconnects and Disaggregated Systems.