GPU Programming with CUDA Training Course

Introduction

• An overview of CUDA.
• Comparing CUDA with OpenCL and SYCL.
• A summary of CUDA features and architecture.
• Setting up the development environment.

Getting Started

• Initiating a new CUDA project in Visual Studio Code.
• Examining the project structure and associated files.
• Compiling and executing the program.
• Displaying output using printf and fprintf.

CUDA API

• Understanding the function of the CUDA API within the host program.
• Querying device information and capabilities via the CUDA API.
• Allocating and freeing device memory using the CUDA API.
• Transferring data between host and device using the CUDA API.
• Launching kernels and synchronizing threads with the CUDA API.
• Handling errors and exceptions using the CUDA API.

CUDA C/C++

• Understanding the role of CUDA C/C++ in the device program.
• Writing kernels in CUDA C/C++ for GPU execution and data manipulation.
• Applying CUDA C/C++ data types, qualifiers, operators, and expressions.
• Using CUDA C/C++ built-in functions for math, atomic operations, warps, etc.
• Utilizing CUDA C/C++ built-in variables such as threadIdx, blockIdx, and blockDim.
• Incorporating CUDA C/C++ libraries like cuBLAS, cuFFT, and cuRAND.

CUDA Memory Model

• Distinguishing between host and device memory models.
• Working with CUDA memory spaces: global, shared, constant, and local.
• Managing CUDA memory objects including pointers, arrays, textures, and surfaces.
• Applying CUDA memory access modes such as read-only, write-only, and read-write.
• Understanding the CUDA memory consistency model and synchronization mechanisms.

CUDA Execution Model

• Distinguishing between host and device execution models.
• Defining parallelism using CUDA threads, blocks, and grids.
• Utilizing CUDA thread functions like threadIdx, blockIdx, and blockDim.
• Using CUDA block functions such as __syncthreads and __threadfence_block.
• Applying CUDA grid functions including gridDim, gridSync, and cooperative groups.

Debugging

• Identifying common errors and bugs in CUDA applications.
• Inspecting variables, breakpoints, and call stacks using the Visual Studio Code debugger.
• Debugging CUDA programs on Linux using CUDA-GDB.
• Detecting memory errors and leaks with CUDA-MEMCHECK.
• Debugging and analyzing CUDA programs on Windows using NVIDIA Nsight.

Optimization

• Understanding factors influencing CUDA program performance.
• Improving memory throughput with CUDA coalescing techniques.
• Reducing memory latency using CUDA caching and prefetching techniques.
• Optimizing memory access and bandwidth using CUDA shared and local memory techniques.
• Measuring and enhancing execution time and resource utilization with CUDA profiling tools.