Sanjeev N. Trika

Intel® Turbo Memory: Nonvolatile disk caches in the storage hierarchy of mainstream computer systems

Hard-disk drives are a significant bottleneck to system performance and are also responsible for a significant fraction of total system power consumption. Intel Turbo Memory addresses these problems by adding a new layer to the storage hierarchy: a platform-based and nonvolatile, disk cache. In this article, we describe the hardware and software elements of the Intel Turbo Memory architecture. We show how it supports the new ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive features in Microsoft Vista and describe its key caching algorithms. We present performance, power savings, and wear-leveling results achieved by Intel Turbo Memory.

Virtual reality interfaces for feature-based computer-aided design systems☆

Abstract A computer-aided design ( cad ) system with a virtual reality (VR) interface simplifies the design of complex mechanical parts. To add a design feature (e.g., a hole, slot, or protrusion), the designer can navigate in the part to the appropriate face of the part where he/she wishes to attach the feature, and sketch directly on that face. Besides convenience, this method of feature specification implicitly enforces feature accessibility constraints, and also provides hints to the process-planner regarding the order in which the features may be manufactured. We detail the design of a VR-based prototype cad system. The system maintains the knowledge of part cavities and their adjacencies, and a triangulated boundary-representation of an approximating polyhedron. We present incremental provably correct algorithms for updating this representation as the user edits the part. We also show how this representation supports real-time displays, navigation, and collision detection. The user-interface of the cad system relies on these capabilities to provide the above-mentioned advantages.