MPI-StarT: Delivering Network Performance to Numerical Applications

: We describe an MPI implementation for a cluster of SMPs interconnected by a high-performance interconnect. This work is a collaboration between a numerical applications programmer and a cluster interconnect architect. The collaboration started with the modest goal of satisfying the communication n...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Parry Husbands, James C. Hoe
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1998
Subjects:
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.29.5085
http://www.toc.lcs.mit.edu/~parry/INDEX.PS
Description
Summary:: We describe an MPI implementation for a cluster of SMPs interconnected by a high-performance interconnect. This work is a collaboration between a numerical applications programmer and a cluster interconnect architect. The collaboration started with the modest goal of satisfying the communication needs of a specific numerical application, MITMatlab. However, by supporting the MPI standard MPI-StarT readily extends support to a host of applications. MPI-StarT is derived from MPICH by developing a custom implementation of the Channel Interface. Some changes in MPICH's ADI and Protocol Layers are also necessary for correct and optimal operation. MPI-StarT relies on the host SMPs' shared memory mechanism for intra-SMP communication. Inter-SMP communication is supported through StarT-X. The StarT-X NIU allows a cluster of PCI-equipped host platforms to communicate over the Arctic Switch Fabric. Currently, StarT-X is utilized by a cluster of SUN E5000 SMPs as well as a cluster of Intel Pen.