The march toward developing relevant and robust CPU benchmarks continues with the introduction of SPEC CPU 2026, the next generation suite for measuring processor performance. This paper details the methodology behind its creation, showcasing a process centered on community collaboration and principled development. The suite is built upon a foundation of modern, open-source applications, selected and hardened through a process that emphasizes workload diversity, portability, and software longevity. A key contribution is Rolling-Round-Robin Rate, a novel and standardized approach to running heterogeneous, multiprogrammed workloads that addresses a long-standing gap in benchmarking practice. Additionally, the suite features an expanded set of multithreaded benchmarks and introduces workloads with distinct microarchitectural profiles, reflecting the demands of contemporary software. By detailing our principled approach to benchmark selection, adaptation, and validation, we demonstrate how the SPEC CPU 2026 suite sets the standard for performance evaluation in the next era of computer architecture research and development.

Information is a strategic component of modern business, and its effective management has become a critical business challenge. Electronic information has not only been growing in volume at unprecedented rates, its value to business has never been greater. Around-the-clock operations, electronic commerce, corporate governance rules and legally-mandated retention laws have all added to the pressure for better information management. Information lifecycle management (ILM) is a business-centric strategy for proactive management of information throughout its life, from its creation and use to its ultimate disposal. EMC's ILM initiative is enhancing our customers' information management capabilities through data classification, centralized management, automation, product integration, and policy-based management. Research issues related to ILM include information classification and optimization of policy-based information management.