Shared Memory based Supercomputing on Broadband Networks of Workstations
This project, funded by Otago Research Grant 2000,
aims to investigate a novel approach to
shared memory based supercomputing on broadband networks
of workstations. Supercomputers/multiprocessors,
e.g. the IBM SP2, are important for applications
such as scientific computing, weather forecasting,
aircraft design, encryption/decryption, earthquake
forecasting, etc. However, their expense, which can
be in the tens of millions of dollars, makes them
unaffordable for most organizations. On the other hand,
high-speed communication networks and rapidly improving
microprocessor performance make it possible to build
virtual supercomputers that can have potentially
similar capabilities, but with a much lower cost.
Such virtual supercomputers rely on (primarily existing)
commodity hardware and software. Though research has
been conducted in this area since 1989, two major
factors have limited the performance of these systems
up until now: (a) the large overhead associated with
inter-processor message passing in the system,
and (b) the relatively low bandwidth and high latency
of networks used to date. To get around those problems,
we intend to conduct theoretical research on a novel model
and related issues for high-performance virtual
supercomputers and experimental research of that model
based on high-bandwidth Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks.
People
Mr Kin Cheung, Research Fellow, Dept of Computer Science,
University of Otago
Dr Stephen Cranefield, Dept of Information Science, University of Otago
Dr Zhiyi Huang, Dept of Computer Science, University of Otago
Dr Martin Purvis, Associate Professor, Dept of Information Science,
University of Otago
Dr Chengzheng Sun, Professor, School of Computing & Information Technology,
Griffith University
Prototype
A
prototype virtual supercomputer has been developed and deployed
in Department of Physics. It consists of
four PCs connected with both Ethernet and ATM networks.
Papers
Overview of Weak Sequential Consistency Models
for Distributed Shared Memory,
Zhiyi Huang, Chengzheng Sun, Stephen Cranefield, and Martin Purvis,
in Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on
Computing and Information (ICCI'2000), Kuwait, November 2000.
View-based Consistency for Distributed Shared Memory,
Zhiyi Huang, Chengzheng Sun, Martin Purvis, and Stephen Cranefield,
in Proceedings of the 4th World Multiconference on Systemics,
Cybernetics and Informatics (SCI'2000), July 2000.
A Java Networking API for ATM Networks,
Zhiyi Huang, Stephen Cranefield, Victor K.M. Chee, and Martin Purvis,
in Proceedings of the 31st International Conference on
Technology of Object-Oriented Languages and Systems,
pp306-315, September 1999.
A proposal for a new Generation Hypertext Transfer Protocol on ATM Networks,
Zhiyi Huang, Stephen Cranefield, Martin Purvis, and Ian McDonald,
in Proceedings of Asia Pacific Web Conference 1999 (APWEB'99),
pp255-259, September 1999.
Transparent Data Selection and Regional Locality
in Distributed Shared Memory,
Zhiyi Huang, Chengzheng Sun, Abdul Sattar, and Ian McDonald,
in Proceedings of the 22nd Australasian Computer
Science Conference (ACSC'99), pp253-264, Auckland, Jan. 1999.
Exploring Regional Locality in Distributed Shared Memory,
Zhiyi Huang, Chengzheng Sun, and Abdul Sattar,
Proc. of The Asian Computer Science Conference,
Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1538, pp. 142-156,
Springer Verlag, Dec. 1998.
Region-based Updates Propagation in Distributed Shared Memory,
Zhiyi Huang, Chengzheng Sun, Wan-Ju Lei, and Abdul Sattar,
in Proceedings of the 2nd European Parallel and
Distributed Systems Conference (Euro-PDS98), Vienna, Austria, July 1998.
Towards Transparent Selective Sequential Consistency in
Distributed Shared Memory Systems,
Chengzheng Sun, Zhiyi Huang, Wan-Ju Lei, and Abdul Sattar,
in Proceedings of the 18th IEEE International Conference on
Distributed Computing Systems, pp.572-581, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 1998.
Heuristic Diff Acquiring in Lazy Release Consistency Model,
Zhiyi Huang, Wan-Ju Lei, Chengzheng Sun, and Abdul Sattar,
in Proceedings of the Asian Computing Science Conference
1997, LNCS 1345, Springer-Verlag, pp98-109, Dec. 1997.
Related projects
- Broadband Communication Group
- Rice Systems Group
- Distributed Shared Memory H
ome Pages
- The Shrimp Project
- Supercomputing and Parallel Computing Research Groups
- Stanford Parallel Application
s for Shared Memory (SPLASH)
Return to Zhiyi Huang's Home Page
Dated: 24 June 2000
Author: Z. Huang