View-based Consistency Model for Distributed Shared Memory

Distributed Shared Memory (DSM) is a promising technology to combine the advantages of both share memory parallel programming and message-passing distributed systems. In general, the performance of DSM systems depends on their consistency models. A DSM consistency model specifies the ordering constraints on concurrent memory accesses by multiple processors, and hence has fundamental impact on DSM programming convenience and implementation efficiency. The traditional Strict Sequential Consistency model is computationally expensive, so a number of weaker DSM consistency models have been proposed to improve the performance. Among them the View-based Consistency model can offer the maximum performance advantage and programming convenience. Since the View-based Consistency model incorporates the merits of the previous weak DSM consistency models, it can serve as a reference model for them and appears to be the appropriate framework for future DSM implementation. This project, funded by Otago Research Grant 2001, aims to investigate the implementation techniques for the View-based Consistency model.

People

Dr Stephen Cranefield, Dept of Information Science, University of Otago

Dr Zhiyi Huang, Dept of Computer Science, University of Otago

Mr Cameron Kerr, Research Fellow, 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 in Systems Research Group, Department of Computer Science. It consists of eight PCs connected with both Fast Ethernet and ATM networks.

Papers

  • View-based Consistency and its Implementation, Zhiyi Huang, Chengzheng Sun, Stephen Cranefield, and Martin Purvis, in Proceedings of the 1st IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Cluster Computing and the Grid (CCGrid 2001), pp.74-81, IEEE Computer Society, Brisbane, May 2001.

  • View-Based Consistency and False Sharing Effect in Distributed Shared Memory, Zhiyi Huang, Chengzheng Sun, Martin Purvis, and Stephen Cranefield, in Operating Systems Review, 35(2), pp51-60, SIGOPS, ACM Press, April 2001.

  • 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.

    The following are some DSM related web sites.

    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)

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    Dated: 24 June 2000
    Author: Z. Huang