A high-performance, portable implementation of the MPI message passing interface standard.

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996 · Parallel Comput.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-8191(96)00024-5· OSTI ID:937909

Gropp, W; Lusk, E; Doss, N; Skjellum, A

MPI (Message Passing Interface) is a specification for a standard library for message passing that was defined by the MPI Forum, a broadly based group of parallel computer vendors, library writers, and applications specialists. Multiple implementations of MPI have been developed. In this paper, we describe MPICH, unique among existing implementations in its design goal of combining portability with high performance. We document its portability and performance and describe the architecture by which these features are simultaneously achieved. We also discuss the set of tools that accompany the free distribution of MPICH, which constitute the beginnings of a portable parallel programming environment. A project of this scope inevitably imparts lessons about parallel computing, the specification being followed, the current hardware and software environment for parallel computing, and project management; we describe those we have learned. Finally, we discuss future developments for MPICH, including those necessary to accommodate extensions to the MPI Standard now being contemplated by the MPI Forum.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 937909
• Report Number(s): MCS-P567-0296
• Journal Information: Parallel Comput., Journal Name: Parallel Comput. Journal Issue: 6 ; Sep. 1996 Vol. 22; ISSN PACOEJ; ISSN 0167-8191
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
COMPUTERS
DESIGN
DISTRIBUTION
IMPLEMENTATION
PERFORMANCE
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
PROGRAMMING
SPECIFICATIONS