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Architecture Scalability of Parallel Vector Computers with a Shared Memory
May 1998 (vol. 47 no. 5)
pp. 614-624
ASCII Text
x 
 
Eskil Dekker, "Architecture Scalability of Parallel Vector Computers with a Shared Memory," IEEE Transactions on Computers, vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 614-624, May, 1998.
 
 
BibTex
x
 
@article{ 10.1109/12.677257,
author = {Eskil Dekker},
title = {Architecture Scalability of Parallel Vector Computers with a Shared Memory},
journal ={IEEE Transactions on Computers},
volume = {47},
number = {5},
issn = {0018-9340},
year = {1998},
pages = {614-624},
doi = {http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/12.677257},
publisher = {IEEE Computer Society},
address = {Los Alamitos, CA, USA},
}
 
 
RefWorks Procite/RefMan/Endnote
x 
 
TY - JOUR
JO - IEEE Transactions on Computers
TI - Architecture Scalability of Parallel Vector Computers with a Shared Memory
IS - 5
SN - 0018-9340
SP614
EP624
EPD - 614-624
A1 - Eskil Dekker,
PY - 1998
KW - Architecture scalability
KW - parallel vector computers
KW - shared memory
KW - sustainable peak performance
KW - theoretical peak performance.
VL - 47
JA - IEEE Transactions on Computers
ER -
 

Abstract—Based on a model of a parallel vector computer with a shared memory, its scalability properties are derived. The processor-memory interconnection network is assumed to be composed of crossbar switches of size b×b. This paper analyzes sustainable peak performance under optimal conditions, i.e., no memory bank conflicts, sufficient processor-memory bank pathways, and no interconnection network conflicts. It will be shown that, with fully vectorizable algorithms and no communication overhead, the sustainable peak performance does not scale up linearly with the number of processors p. If the interconnection network is unbuffered, the number of memory banks must increase at least with O(p logbp) to sustain peak performance. If the network is buffered, this bottleneck can be alleviated; however, the half performance vector length still increases with O(logbp). The paper confirms the validity of the model by examining the performance behavior of the LINPACK benchmark.

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Index Terms:
Architecture scalability, parallel vector computers, shared memory, sustainable peak performance, theoretical peak performance.
Citation:
Eskil Dekker, "Architecture Scalability of Parallel Vector Computers with a Shared Memory," IEEE Transactions on Computers, vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 614-624, May 1998, doi:10.1109/12.677257
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