A graph model, ParaDiGM, and a software tool, VISA, for the representation, design, and simulation of parallel, distributed computations

Miscellaneous · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5827089

Demeure, I M

The research presented here is concerned with representation techniques and tools to support the design, prototyping, simulation, and evaluation of message-based parallel, distributed computations. The author describes ParaDiGM-Parallel, Distributed computation Graph Model-a visual representation technique for parallel, message-based distributed computations. ParaDiGM provides several views of a computation depending on the aspect of concern. It is made of two complementary submodels, the DCPG-Distributed Computing Precedence Graph-model, and the PAM-Process Architecture Model-model. DCPGs are precedence graphs used to express the functionality of a computation in terms of tasks, message-passing, and data. PAM graphs are used to represent the partitioning of a computation into schedulable units or processes, and the pattern of communication among those units. There is a natural mapping between the two models. He illustrates the utility of ParaDiGM as a representation technique by applying it to various computations (e.g., an adaptive global optimization algorithm, the client-server model). ParaDiGM representations are concise. They can be used in documenting the design and the implementation of parallel, distributed computations, in describing such computations to colleagues, and in comparing and contrasting various implementations of the same computation. He then describes VISA-VISual Assistant, a software tool to support the design, prototyping, and simulation of message-based parallel, distributed computations. VISA is based on the ParaDiGM model. In particular, it supports the editing of ParaDiGM graphs to describe the computations of interest, and the animation of these graphs to provide visual feedback during simulations. The graphs are supplemented with various attributes, simulation parameters, and interpretations which are procedures that can be executed by VISA.

• Research Organization: Colorado Univ., Boulder, CO (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5827089
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
PARALLEL PROCESSING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DESIGN
ALGORITHMS
COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
DISTRIBUTED DATA PROCESSING
GRAPHS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NONUNITARY REPRESENTATIONS
OPTIMIZATION
PARTITION FUNCTIONS
PROGRAMMING
DATA PROCESSING
FUNCTIONS
MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
PROCESSING
SIMULATION
990200* - Mathematics & Computers