Arch2030: A Vision of Computer Architecture Research over the Next 15 Years

TL;DR

This paper envisions the future of computer architecture over the next 15 years, emphasizing the need for innovative research to sustain technological progress amid diminishing returns from traditional scaling laws.

Contribution

It provides a strategic outlook on future research directions in computer architecture, connecting application trends with device and circuit advancements.

Findings

Identifies key challenges due to slowing Moore's Law and Dennard Scaling.

Highlights opportunities for architecture research to bridge application and device domains.

Calls for a community effort to secure a foundational future for IT progress.

Abstract

Application trends, device technologies and the architecture of systems drive progress in information technologies. However, the former engines of such progress - Moore's Law and Dennard Scaling - are rapidly reaching the point of diminishing returns. The time has come for the computing community to boldly confront a new challenge: how to secure a foundational future for information technology's continued progress. The computer architecture community engaged in several visioning exercises over the years. Five years ago, we released a white paper, 21st Century Computer Architecture, which influenced funding programs in both academia and industry. More recently, the IEEE Rebooting Computing Initiative explored the future of computing systems in the architecture, device, and circuit domains. This report stems from an effort to continue this dialogue, reach out to the applications and devices/circuits communities, and understand their trends and vision. We aim to identify opportunities where architecture research can bridge the gap between the application and device domains.