GATE CS 2013 Exam | Section 60

Overview

This section of the GATE CS 2013 Exam focuses on the topic of computer organization and architecture. It tests your understanding of topics like memory hierarchy, cache organization, pipelining, and parallel processing.

Memory Hierarchy

A computer's memory hierarchy refers to the arrangement of different types of memory devices like registers, cache, main memory, and secondary storage. The lower levels of the hierarchy (e.g., registers and cache) are faster and smaller, while the higher levels (e.g., main memory and secondary storage) are slower but larger.

One important concept in memory hierarchy is the principle of locality, which states that programs tend to access data that is near data they have recently accessed.

Cache Organization

Caches are small, fast memory devices that store frequently accessed pieces of data. They help to reduce the time it takes to retrieve data from slower memory devices like main memory.

A cache typically has a set of cache lines or blocks, which are chunks of data that are stored in the cache. When a processor tries to access a memory address, it checks if this address is present in the cache. If it is, the processor retrieves the data from the cache. If it is not, the processor retrieves the data from main memory and also copies it into the cache for future access.

Pipelining

Pipelining is a technique used in processors to improve their performance. It involves breaking up a complex instruction into smaller steps that can be performed concurrently. Each step is executed by a separate hardware unit, and the results of each step are passed on to the next unit in the pipeline.

Pipelining can help to reduce the overall execution time of a sequence of instructions by allowing multiple instructions to be processed simultaneously.

Parallel Processing

Parallel processing involves using multiple processors to complete a task more quickly. It can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as by using multiple cores within a processor, or by using multiple processors in a cluster.

Parallel processing can be particularly useful in performing tasks that are computationally intensive or require large amounts of data processing.

Conclusion

This section of the GATE CS 2013 Exam covers important concepts in computer organization and architecture, including memory hierarchy, cache organization, pipelining, and parallel processing. Understanding these concepts is essential for any programmer working on performance-critical applications or systems.