SPEC Posts Rewards for CPU98 Applications
Michelle Perkins
SPEC Posts Rewards
for CPU98 Applications
Up to $5,000 and free benchmark software offered for accepted code
MANASSAS, Va., April 18, 1997 -- The Standard Performance Evaluation
Corp. (SPEC) is offering rewards of up to $5,000 and a free benchmark
license for application code and datasets accepted under its CPU98
Benchmark Search Program. The program is designed to reward those in
the academic and industrial communities who develop applications that
can be used as components of the next revision of SPEC's CPU benchmark
suites.
"SPEC builds its benchmark suites based on current and potential
applications within industrial, research and academic environments,"
says Kaivalya Dixit, SPEC president. "The CPU98 Benchmark Search
Program is designed to generate new benchmarks from developers outside
of the SPEC organization."
SPEC's current CPU95 suite includes the following applications: AI game
theory, processor simulators, compilers, interpreters, data compression,
databases, weather prediction, fluid dynamics, physics, chemistry and
image processing. Proposed applications are not limited to these areas,
however. The primary selection factor in all application categories is
how closely the entry reflects the state of the art in its field. It is
also important that the application can be made compute-bound and
portable across different hardware architectures and operating systems.
Submissions for new CPU98 benchmarks will be accepted from now until
December 1, 1997 at midnight U.S. Pacific Standard Time. All proposals
will be reviewed by the SPEC CPU subcommittee, which meets approximately
every two weeks. If a proposal is accepted after initial review, the
submittor(s) will receive a SPEC CPU95 license (or a refund for those
who already have a license) and instructions for preparing benchmark
code. If the code makes it through subsequent review processes,
financial rewards will be given: $1,000 for each of the first three
steps in the approval process, then $2,000 and a license for the CPU98
benchmark suite upon final acceptance. Travel expenses will be provided
if those submitting benchmark code are needed at a SPEC benchathon,
which is a meeting where SPEC members test benchmarks for quality and
portability. Award winners will also be publicized by SPEC.
For an entry form and/or more information on the CPU98 Benchmark Search
Program, visit SPEC's Web site (http://www.specbench.org/) or contact
SPEC headquarters (tel: 703-331-0180, fax: 703-331-0181, e-mail:
in...@specbench.org).
SPEC is a non-profit corporation formed to establish, maintain and
endorse a standardized set of relevant benchmarks that can be applied to
the newest generation of high-performance computers. SPEC member groups
include the Open Systems Group (OSG); OSG Associates, consisting of
leading universities and research facilities; the High-Performance Group
(HPG); HPG Associates; and the Graphics Performance Characterization
(GPC) Group.
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Cramblitt & Company
919-481-4599; cra...@interpath.com