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Title: A global time reference for hypercube multicomputers

Abstract

This report describes a simple but effective technique for achieving a global time reference on hypercube multicomputers. The synchronization algorithm presented runs in O(log N) time where N = 2/sup n/ is the number of processors in an order n hypercube. Empirical evidence is given to show that the expected clock agreement is n/2 ticks. Since the synchronization algorithm does not depend on particular parameters of the underlying hardware, it is inherently portable. A sampling technique for testing the agreement of the processor clocks in O(N) time is also presented. This technique assumes that the internode message transit time, m, is constant but unknown. One unexpected outcome of this work was the discovery that, in general, timing information cannot be reliably obtained on the NCUBE/AT system except perhaps in the total absence of message traffic. 15 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA (USA). Inst. for Parallel Computation
OSTI Identifier:
6164260
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/25063-T3; IPC-TR-88-10
ON: DE89010924
DOE Contract Number:  
FG05-88ER25063
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE; HYPERCUBE COMPUTERS; SYNCHRONIZATION; ALGORITHMS; COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE; COMPUTERS; MATHEMATICAL LOGIC; 990210* - Supercomputers- (1987-1989)

Citation Formats

French, J. C. A global time reference for hypercube multicomputers. United States: N. p., 1988. Web. doi:10.2172/6164260.
French, J. C. A global time reference for hypercube multicomputers. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6164260
French, J. C. 1988. "A global time reference for hypercube multicomputers". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6164260. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6164260.
@article{osti_6164260,
title = {A global time reference for hypercube multicomputers},
author = {French, J. C.},
abstractNote = {This report describes a simple but effective technique for achieving a global time reference on hypercube multicomputers. The synchronization algorithm presented runs in O(log N) time where N = 2/sup n/ is the number of processors in an order n hypercube. Empirical evidence is given to show that the expected clock agreement is n/2 ticks. Since the synchronization algorithm does not depend on particular parameters of the underlying hardware, it is inherently portable. A sampling technique for testing the agreement of the processor clocks in O(N) time is also presented. This technique assumes that the internode message transit time, m, is constant but unknown. One unexpected outcome of this work was the discovery that, in general, timing information cannot be reliably obtained on the NCUBE/AT system except perhaps in the total absence of message traffic. 15 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.},
doi = {10.2172/6164260},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6164260}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 1988},
month = {Mon Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 1988}
}