Cpu Cache Opt

# Basic cache counters
perf stat -e cache-references,cache-misses,cycles,instructions ./prog

# L1/L2/L3 miss breakdown
perf stat -e \
    L1-dcache-load-misses,\
    L1-dcache-loads,\
    L2-dcache-load-misses,\
    LLC-load-misses,\
    LLC-loads \
    ./prog

# Cache miss rate = L1-dcache-load-misses / L1-dcache-loads
# > 5% is concerning; > 20% is severe

# False sharing detection
perf stat -e \
    machine_clears.memory_ordering,\
    mem_load_l3_hit_retired.xsnp_hitm \
    ./prog

// Check cache line size
long cache_line = sysconf(_SC_LEVEL1_DCACHE_LINESIZE);

// Align data to cache line
struct alignas(64) HotData {
    int counter;
    // ... 60 bytes of data that fit in one line
};

// C
typedef struct {
    int x;
} __attribute__((aligned(64))) AlignedData;

// AoS (Array of Structures) — default layout
struct Particle {
    float x, y, z;     // position (12 bytes)
    float vx, vy, vz;  // velocity (12 bytes)
    float mass;         // (4 bytes)
    int   flags;        // (4 bytes)
};
Particle particles[N];  // Bad for loops that only need position

// Problem: accessing particles[i].x loads x,y,z,vx,vy,vz,mass,flags
// But we only need x,y,z → 75% of loaded data is wasted

// SoA (Structure of Arrays) — cache-friendly for SIMD + sequential access
struct ParticlesSoA {
    float *x, *y, *z;
    float *vx, *vy, *vz;
    float *mass;
    int   *flags;
};

// Accessing x[i] for i=0..N loads 16 consecutive x values → 0% waste
// Also auto-vectorizes better

// BAD: random access (linked list traversal)
Node *node = head;
while (node) {
    process(node->data);
    node = node->next;  // pointer chasing = cache miss per node
}

// BETTER: pool allocate nodes contiguously
// Or: rewrite as contiguous array with indices

// BAD: stride > cache line in matrix traversal
for (int i = 0; i < N; i++)
    for (int j = 0; j < M; j++)
        sum += matrix[j][i];  // column-major access on row-major array

// GOOD: row-major access
for (int i = 0; i < N; i++)
    for (int j = 0; j < M; j++)
        sum += matrix[i][j];

// BAD: large struct with hot + cold fields
struct Record {
    int id;           // hot: accessed every iteration
    char name[128];   // cold: accessed rarely
    int value;        // hot
    char desc[256];   // cold
};

// GOOD: separate hot and cold data
struct RecordHot { int id; int value; };
struct RecordCold { char name[128]; char desc[256]; };
RecordHot hot_data[N];
RecordCold cold_data[N];

// BAD: counters likely on same cache line (8 bytes each, line = 64 bytes)
int counter_a;  // thread A's counter
int counter_b;  // thread B's counter

// Both on the same cache line → every write invalidates the other thread's cache

// GOOD: pad to separate cache lines
struct alignas(64) PaddedCounter {
    int value;
    char padding[60];  // Ensure next counter is on different cache line
};

PaddedCounter counters[NUM_THREADS];
// Thread i: counters[i].value++

// C++ standard approach
struct alignas(std::hardware_destructive_interference_size) PaddedCounter {
    int value;
};

#include <immintrin.h>  // or <xmmintrin.h>

// Prefetch for read (locality 0=non-temporal, 3=high temporal)
__builtin_prefetch(ptr, 0, 3);  // prefetch for read, high locality
__builtin_prefetch(ptr, 1, 3);  // prefetch for write, high locality

// SSE prefetch (x86)
_mm_prefetch((char*)ptr, _MM_HINT_T0);   // L1
_mm_prefetch((char*)ptr, _MM_HINT_T1);   // L2
_mm_prefetch((char*)ptr, _MM_HINT_T2);   // L3
_mm_prefetch((char*)ptr, _MM_HINT_NTA);  // non-temporal (streaming)

// Typical pattern: prefetch N iterations ahead
#define PREFETCH_DIST 8
for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
    if (i + PREFETCH_DIST < N)
        __builtin_prefetch(&data[i + PREFETCH_DIST], 0, 3);
    process(data[i]);
}

// Loop blocking / tiling for matrix operations
// Process cache-fitting blocks instead of full rows/columns
#define BLOCK 64  // tuned to L1 cache size

void matrix_mult_blocked(float *C, float *A, float *B, int N) {
    for (int i = 0; i < N; i += BLOCK)
    for (int k = 0; k < N; k += BLOCK)
    for (int j = 0; j < N; j += BLOCK)
    // Inner block fits in L1 cache
    for (int ii = i; ii < i + BLOCK && ii < N; ii++)
    for (int kk = k; kk < k + BLOCK && kk < N; kk++)
    for (int jj = j; jj < j + BLOCK && jj < N; jj++)
        C[ii*N+jj] += A[ii*N+kk] * B[kk*N+jj];
}