Online monitoring of FPGA-based co-processing engines embedded in dependable workstations

Abstract

An assertion-based monitoring system was implemented to enforce the operation of a FPGA coprocessing engine, which is part of a dependable workstation. The monitor was built in VHDL using simple state machines. Concurrent error detection is an important aspect in dependable workstations helping to prevent the propagation of errors within the system. The functionality of the implemented monitoring component does not interfere with the performance of the workstation and ensures high system availability. The monitor checks for PCI protocol and application errors based on the forensic analysis of a dependable workstation with FPGAbased co-processing support.

Self-Aware Adaptation in FPGA-based Systems

“…These approaches take advantages by the use of the compiler optimization to create the supposed to be, best configuration for a given application. Unfortunately these solutions lack in online adaptability, limit that has been faced in [13] and in [14]. In [14], the FPGA has been used as a sort of filter to monitor, using the dependability analysis, the data flowing through a certain part of the system.…”

“…Unfortunately these solutions lack in online adaptability, limit that has been faced in [13] and in [14]. In [14], the FPGA has been used as a sort of filter to monitor, using the dependability analysis, the data flowing through a certain part of the system. This approach, even without introducing overhead into the computation, cannot be considered as non intrusive with respect to the overall system.…”

From reconfigurable architectures to self-adaptive autonomic systems

“…In [43], the FPGA has been used as a sort of filter to monitor, using the dependability analysis, the data flowing through a certain part of the system. Unfortunately, this approach, even without introducing overhead into the computation, cannot be considered as non intrusive with respect to the overall system.…”