OCCA: A unified approach to multi-threading languages

TL;DR

OCCA is a C++ library that enables portable high-performance computing across multiple threading languages by using run-time compilation and macro expansions, supporting OpenMP, OpenCL, and CUDA.

Contribution

It introduces a unified kernel language that expands to various threading platforms, simplifying multi-platform development.

Findings

OCCA achieves portable high performance across different architectures.

Supports multiple threading languages including OpenMP, OpenCL, and CUDA.

Demonstrates effectiveness with finite difference, spectral element, and discontinuous Galerkin methods.

Abstract

The inability to predict lasting languages and architectures led us to develop OCCA, a C++ library focused on host-device interaction. Using run-time compilation and macro expansions, the result is a novel single kernel language that expands to multiple threading languages. Currently, OCCA supports device kernel expansions for the OpenMP, OpenCL, and CUDA platforms. Computational results using finite difference, spectral element and discontinuous Galerkin methods show OCCA delivers portable high performance in different architectures and platforms.