gvw@castle.ed.ac.uk (Greg Wilson) (06/11/91)
"Past, Present, Parallel: A Survey of Available Parallel Computing
Systems" has now been released in the United States by Springer-Verlag.
For a mere US$68 (or thereabouts), you can acquire a 400-page survey of
the major players in the parallel computing industry. The book was
edited by Arthur Trew and Greg Wilson, of Edinburgh Parallel Computing
Centre, and contains contributions from Colin Brough, Malcolm Brown,
Neil MacDonald, Mike Norman, Sandy Robertson, Rob Scott, Mark Smith,
Billy Taylor, Arthur Trew, Matthew White, and Greg Wilson. The contents
are listed below; if you have any queries, or, having read the book,
would like to let us know what you think of it, please contact:
Arthur Trew/Greg Wilson
Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre
James Clerk Maxwell Building
University of Edinburgh
Mayfield Road
Edinburgh EH9 3JZ
Scotland
arthur@uk.ac.ed.castle/gvw@uk.ac.ed.castle
======================================================================
1 Introduction 1
1.1 An Introduction to Parallel Processing: 2
1.1.1 B. P. (Before Parallelism) 2
1.1.2 Computer Architectures 6
1.1.3 Computer Software 9
1.1.4 Types of Parallelism 12
2 SIMD: Specialisation Equals Success 13
2.1 Active Memory Technology: 14
2.1.1 The Company 14
2.1.2 The Machine 16
2.1.3 The Development System 20
2.1.4 Programming Languages 21
2.1.5 The Market Niche 22
2.1.6 The Competition 23
2.1.7 The Future 24
2.2 MasPar Computer Corporation: 26
2.2.1 The Company 26
2.2.2 The Machine 27
2.2.3 The Program Development System 32
2.2.4 Programming Languages 32
2.2.5 The Market 33
2.2.6 The Competitors 34
2.2.7 The Future 35
2.3 Thinking Machines Corporation: 36
2.3.1 The Company 36
2.3.2 The Machine 37
2.3.3 The Development System 43
2.3.4 Programming Languages 43
2.3.5 The Market Niche 45
2.3.6 The Competition 46
2.3.7 The Future 47
3 Shared Memory Multiprocessors: The Evolutionary Approach 55
3.1 Alliant Computer Systems: 56
3.1.1 The Company 56
3.1.2 The Hardware 57
3.1.3 The Visualisation Machines 59
3.1.4 Software 60
3.1.5 The Market Niche 61
3.1.6 The Competition 62
3.1.7 The Future 62
3.2 BBN Advanced Computers Inc.: 64
3.2.1 The Company 64
3.2.2 The Machine 66
The Butterfly Switch 66
The Processors 68
The Communications System 69
3.2.3 The Development System 70
3.2.4 Programming Languages 72
3.2.5 The Market Niche 73
3.2.6 The Competition 74
3.2.7 The Future 75
3.3 Concurrent Computer Corporation: 76
3.3.1 Background 76
3.3.2 The 3200 Series 76
3.3.3 The 8000 Series 78
3.3.4 The Market 78
3.3.5 The Future 79
3.4 Convex Computer Corporation: 80
3.4.1 The Company 80
3.4.2 The Hardware 81
3.4.3 Software 83
3.4.4 The Market Niche 84
3.4.5 The Competition 85
3.4.6 The Future 85
3.5 Encore Computer Corporation: 87
3.5.1 The Company 87
3.5.2 The Machines 89
Multimax 89
The Encore 91 91
3.5.3 The Development System 93
3.5.4 Programming Languages 93
3.5.5 The Market Niche 94
3.5.6 The Competition 95
3.5.7 The Future 96
3.6 FPS Computing: 97
3.6.1 The Company 97
3.6.2 The Machine 99
3.6.3 The Development System 102
3.6.4 Programming Languages 103
3.6.5 The Market Niche 103
3.6.6 The Competition 104
3.6.7 The Future 105
3.7 Sequent Computer Systems: 106
3.7.1 The Company 106
3.7.2 The Machine 107
3.7.3 The Operating System 110
3.7.4 Programming languages 111
3.7.5 The Market Niche 112
3.7.6 The Competition 113
3.7.7 The Future 113
4 Hypercubes: A Geometry that Works 125
4.1 Intel Scientific Computers: 126
4.1.1 The Company 126
4.1.2 The Hardware 127
iPSC/1 128
iPSC/2 129
4.1.3 The Concurrent I/O facility 130
iPSC/860 131
4.1.4 The Software 132
Languages 132
Tools 133
4.1.5 Sales 133
4.1.6 The Market Niche 134
4.1.7 The Future 136
4.2 NCUBE Corporation: 137
4.2.1 The Company 137
4.2.2 Hardware 138
The NCUBE/ten 138
The NCUBE/four and NCUBE/seven 140
NCUBE-2 140
4.2.3 The Software 142
4.2.4 The Market Niche 143
4.2.5 The Opposition 143
4.2.6 The Future 144
5 The Transputer and Its Offspring 149
5.1 Inmos Limited: 150
5.1.1 The Company 150
5.1.2 The Transputer 153
T414 153
T800 155
T400 155
Transputer Modules (TRAMs) 156
5.1.3 The Software 156
5.1.4 The Market Niche 156
5.1.5 The Future 157
5.2 Caplin Cybernetics: 159
5.2.1 The Company 159
5.2.2 Caplin's Product Range 160
The QT Series 160
HEX 161
HEXsys 162
5.2.3 The Market Niche 163
5.2.4 Present Applications 163
Computational Chemistry 163
Finite Element Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics 164
Relational Database Applications 164
5.2.5 The Future 164
5.3 Meiko Scientific Limited: 165
5.3.1 The Company 165
5.3.2 The Hardware 166
The In-Sun Computing Surface 169
SPARC-based Computing Surface 170
i860-based Computing Surface 171
5.3.3 Programming Environments 172
5.3.4 CSTools 172
5.3.5 Sales and Marketing 173
5.3.6 The Future 175
5.4 Parsys Limited: 176
5.4.1 The Company 176
The Esprit Supernode Projects 176
Parsys Goes It Alone 178
Telmat Informatique 178
5.4.2 The Hardware 179
5.4.3 The Software 182
The IDRIS Operating System 182
X Support 183
Transputer Development System (TDS) 183
Compilers and Libraries 184
5.4.4 The Market Niche 184
5.4.5 The Competition 184
5.4.6 Current Applications 185
Commercial 185
Engineering 185
Finance 186
5.4.7 The Future 186
5.5 Parsytec GmbH: 187
5.5.1 The Company 187
5.5.2 System Overview 188
Plug-in Boards 188
Mid-range Systems 189
The Stand-alone Systems 191
5.5.3 Applications and Performance 192
5.5.4 The Software 193
5.5.5 The Market 194
5.5.6 The Future 195
6 New Machines For New Niches 201
6.1 Cogent Research Incorporated: 202
6.1.1 The Company 202
6.1.2 The Hardware 202
6.1.3 The Software 204
6.1.4 The Market Niche 205
6.1.5 The Future 206
6.2 Silicon Graphics Incorporated: 207
6.2.1 The Company 207
6.2.2 The Hardware 208
The Personal Iris 209
The SGI POWER Range 210
Graphics Facilities and Add-on Hardware 210
6.2.3 The Software 211
The Development Machine 211
Graphics and Third-party Software 212
6.2.4 The Market Niche 213
6.2.5 The Future 214
6.3 Stardent Computer Incorporated: 215
6.3.1 The Company 215
Stellar Computer Incorporated 215
Ardent Computer Corporation 217
The Partnership with Kubota 218
6.3.2 The Hardware 219
Stardent 3000 219
6.3.3 The Software 221
Operating System and Compilers 221
Visualisation Systems 221
Third Party Software 222
6.3.4 The Market 222
6.3.5 The Future 223
6.4 Teradata Corporation: 225
6.4.1 The Company 225
6.4.2 The Hardware 226
6.4.3 Interface Software 228
6.4.4 Internal Software 229
6.4.5 Support for Critical Environments 230
6.4.6 The Marketplace 230
6.4.7 The Future 231
7 Vector Supercomputers: It's Never too Late to Parallelise 239
7.1 Cray Research Inc.: 240
7.1.1 The Company 240
7.1.2 Cray X-MP -> Cray Y-MP -> C90 241
Cray X-MP 241
Cray Y-MP 242
The C90 243
7.1.3 Cray-2 -> Cray-3 243
Cray-2 243
Cray-3 and Cray-4 245
7.1.4 The Software 246
7.1.5 The Market Niche 248
7.1.6 The Competition 249
7.1.7 The Future 250
7.2 NEC: 252
7.2.1 The Company 252
7.2.2 The Hardware 252
7.2.3 The Software 254
7.2.4 The Market 254
7.3 Supercomputer Systems Inc: 256
7.3.1 The Company 256
7.3.2 Who is Steve Chen? 257
7.3.3 SSI's Options 257
8 The Giants: Biding Their Time 261
8.1 Digital Equipment Corporation: 262
8.1.1 The Company 262
8.1.2 The Hardware 263
The Cm* 263
ASMP and SMP 263
Vax 9000 264
Firefly 265
8.1.3 The Software 265
Vax Software 265
Firefly Software 266
8.1.4 The Market 267
8.1.5 The Future 267
8.2 Fujitsu: 269
8.2.1 The Company 269
8.2.2 Vector Computers 269
8.2.3 The CAP-C5 Array Processor 272
8.2.4 The AP-1000 Array Processor 275
8.2.5 The Future 277
8.3 IBM Corporation: 279
8.3.1 The Company 279
8.3.2 The ES/9000 280
8.3.3 Operating Systems 283
MVS 283
VM/CMS 284
8.3.4 Programming Languages 284
Parallel Fortran 284
Other Software 285
8.3.5 The Market 285
8.3.6 The Future 286
9 Software: Efficiency vs. Portability? 291
9.1 Express: 292
9.1.1 The Express Family of Products 292
9.1.2 History and Philosophy 293
9.1.3 Express 293
9.1.4 Cubix and Plotix 295
9.1.5 Other Utilities 296
9.2 Helios: 297
9.2.1 Perihelion and Helios 297
9.2.2 The Helios Model 297
9.2.3 The Helios Network 298
9.2.4 Helios Programming Environment 300
9.2.5 Helios as an Environment 303
9.2.6 The Market for Helios 303
9.3 Linda: 304
9.3.1 Linda operations 305
out(t) 305
in(s) 305
rd(s) 305
inp(s) and rdp(s) 306
eval() 306
9.3.2 Linda Examples 306
Client-Server 306
Task Farm 306
9.3.3 The Future 307
9.4 Strand88: 309
9.4.1 History 309
9.4.2 Design 310
Parallel Semantics 310
Portability 310
Foreign Language Interface 311
9.4.3 Markets for Strand88 312
Academic institutions: 313
Applied commercial research laboratories: 313
Hardware manufacturers: 313
Software houses: 314
Application developers: 314
9.4.4 The Competition 314
9.4.5 The Future 315
10 Machines Past 317
10.1 BiiN: 318
10.1.1 The Company 318
10.1.2 The Hardware 318
10.1.3 The Software 320
10.1.4 The Market 321
10.1.5 BiiN's Demise 321
10.2 ETA Systems: 323
10.2.1 The Company 323
10.2.2 The Hardware 324
10.2.3 The Software 325
10.2.4 Costs and Sales 326
10.2.5 What Went Wrong? 327
The Stock Market and Financing 327
ETA Management 328
Marketing 328
CDC Management 329
10.3 Multiflow: 330
10.3.1 Going Up 330
10.3.2 Going Down 332
10.3.3 Why Did Multiflow Fail? 332
10.3.4 A Future for VLIW technology? 333
10.4 Myrias Research Corporation: 335
10.4.1 The Company 335
10.4.2 User-Level Model 335
10.4.3 Claims About the User-Level Model 337
10.4.4 Compromises in the User-Level Model 338
10.4.5 The Virtual Machine and Its Implementation 338
10.4.6 The Product Range 339
10.4.7 Sales 341
10.4.8 The End 341
10.5 Symult Incorporated: 342
10.5.1 Ametek and Symult 342
10.5.2 The Symult S2010 342
10.5.3 The Communications Network 343
10.5.4 Why did the S2010 fail? 345
11 Machines Future 353
A Technology 359
A.1 Cache Memory: 360
A.1.1 Performance 360
A.1.2 Cache Update Policies 360
A.1.3 Multicache Consistency 361
A.2 Message Passing Systems: 361
A.2.1 Addressing of Messages 362
Numeric Task and Type Identifiers 362
Ports 363
Channels 363
Operating System 363
A.2.2 Deadlock and Related Issues 364
A.2.3 Controlling Message Transfer 364
A.2.4 Delivering Messages 365
A.2.5 Message Selection 366
A.2.6 Placing Tasks 366
A.3 Visualisation: 367
A.3.1 Doing It In Hardware 367
A.4 Parallel Compilers: 368
A.4.1 Vectorising Compilers 369
A.4.2 Parallelising Compilers 370
VLIW Technology and Trace Scheduling 370
Trace Scheduling 371
B Units 373
C Glossary 375
D Trademarks 383
Index 387
--
=========================== MODERATOR ==============================
Steve Stevenson {steve,fpst}@hubcap.clemson.edu
Department of Computer Science, comp.parallel
Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-1906 (803)656-5880.mabell