Aaron Sawdey - Senior Engineer at IBM

Aaron Sawdey

Senior Engineer at IBM

United States

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Summary

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Senior

🎓

Top School

Aaron Sawdey is a senior engineer with two decades of expertise at the hardware/software boundary, focused on computer architecture, cache coherency, and interconnect networks—primarily improving IBM PowerPC processor implementations for servers. He combines deep processor implementation experience with practical systems knowledge, routinely translating architectural features for OS and performance teams to diagnose and resolve complex performance issues. His background spans high-performance computing and compiler work, including targeted contributions to GCC's PowerPC backend to add opaque modes that prevent optimization pitfalls. A longtime Unix sysadmin and operator, he pairs hands-on system administration with research-caliber thinking from a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, making him equally comfortable with silicon-level tradeoffs and production software troubleshooting.

8 years of coding experience

5 years of employment as a software developer

Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Ph.D., Electrical Engineering at University of Minnesota

B.S., Engineering Physics, B.S., Engineering Physics at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Github Skills (20)

powerpc10

code-generator10

assembly10

computer-architecture10

architecture10

c-compiler10

gcc-compiler10

c1110

codegen10

gcc10

c1710

machine-code10

code-generation10

assemble10

assembler10

Programming languages (4)

C++CPHPBitBake

Github contributions (5)

gcc-mirror/gcc

May 2020 - Jul 2020

Role in this project:

Back-end Developer

Contributions:8 commits in 1 month

Contributions summary:Aaron primarily contributed to the GCC compiler project by implementing and modifying code related to PowerPC (powerpc) target architecture and the new MODE_OPAQUE class. Their work involved adding new mode classes and opaque types within the compiler's internal data structures. They also modified built-in functions and machine descriptions for the powerpc MMA instructions to leverage the new opaque modes, improving performance and preventing optimization issues. Further commits addressed edge cases where opaque modes needed handling to ensure compatibility and correct code generation.

illumos/gcc

Apr 2018 - Jul 2020

GCC patched to build illumos, including the patches from Codesourcery/Sun Microsystems used in the 3.4.3 and 4.3.3 shipped with Solaris

Contributions:45 commits in 2 years 3 months

solarisillumosgccgcc-compiler

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