# Hpca Reproducibility

> HPCA Reproducibility

- Skill: `gabrielmoreira/hpca-reproducibility` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add gabrielmoreira/hpca-reproducibility`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/gabrielmoreira/hpca-reproducibility/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: gabrielmoreira (https://skillmd.com/u/gabrielmoreira)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/gabrielmoreira/hpca-reproducibility

---


# HPCA Reproducibility

Use this to make an HPCA paper's results reconstructable — by a reviewer during the
window, by an artifact evaluator after acceptance, and by you six months later when
the environment has drifted. HPCA's artifact badges are **IEEE reproducibility
badges** earned on a separate AE HotCRP, so build toward that pipeline, not the ACM
one.

## Pin the result chain

Every figure in the paper should trace back through an unbroken chain:

```text
simulator commit (or machine + firmware)
  -> configuration file (core, cache, DRAM, interconnect)
    -> workload + input + sampled region
      -> raw output logs
        -> statistics script
          -> the figure/table in the PDF
```

If any link is unpinned — a simulator built from "latest," a config edited by hand, a
region chosen ad hoc — the result is not reproducible, only re-runnable by you.

## One manifest per figure

Give each headline figure a manifest that names its commit, config, workload, region,
seed/trial count, and the exact command that regenerates it. A `regen.sh` per figure
that reproduces the artifact from raw logs turns "trust me" into "run this."

| Chain link | What to pin | Failure if unpinned |
|---|---|---|
| Simulator | Commit hash + local-patch diff | Silent behavior drift between builds |
| Config | Versioned file, not manual edits | Unreproducible operating point |
| Workload/region | Suite version + sampling recipe | Cherry-picked region suspicion |
| Statistics | Scripted, seeded | Numbers that cannot be regenerated |
| Silicon runs | Governor/turbo/SMT/NUMA + kernel/firmware | Noise mistaken for signal |

## Record machine state for silicon

A real-hardware result is only reproducible with its host state captured: frequency
governor, turbo, SMT, NUMA policy, kernel and firmware versions, and the trial count
with dispersion. Archive it next to the logs, not in your memory.

## Handle non-redistributable workloads

SPEC-class and other licensed suites cannot ship in the artifact. Provide the
**recipe and checksums** to reconstruct them, plus at least one freely available
workload that exercises the full pipeline so an evaluator without a license can still
reproduce a headline result.

## Keep the environment resurrectable

Between submission and the badge round, environments rot. Containerize or script the
build, pin dependency versions, and do a **cold-start resurrection drill** on a clean
machine before you promise a reviewer or evaluator anything. The single
rebuttal/revision window is not the time to discover your simulator no longer builds.

## Reproducibility checklist

```text
[Result chain] every figure pinned commit->config->workload->region->stats? (Y/N)
[Manifests] one per headline figure with a regen script? (Y/N)
[Silicon state] governor/turbo/SMT/NUMA + kernel/firmware + trials archived? (Y/N/NA)
[Licensed workloads] recipe+checksums + one free workload provided? (Y/N/NA)
[Resurrection] cold-start build drill passed on a clean machine? (Y/N)
[Badge readiness] packaged for the IEEE AE HotCRP? (Y/N)
[Top gaps] <ordered>
```

Reopen the current artifact-evaluation page for the badge set and calendar before
relying on any AE detail here — the AE mechanics are per-edition.