Richard Swan

The Switching Structure and Addressing Architecture of an Extensible Multiprocessor: Cm\* Degree Type: Ph.D. in Computer Science
Advisor(s): Samuel Fuller
Graduated: August 1978

Abstract:

Cm is an extensible, multiprocessor computer, system with a hierarchical structure. A 10 processor pilot system, has been in operation for a year. The hardware structure will support on the order of 10,000 processors. A major overall design objective is to efficiently support close cooperation between large numbers of concurrently executing processes.

An important component of multiprocessor systems is the switching structure which allows processors to access shared memory. The effective, maximum size in number of processors of multiprocessors described in the literature is limited. This limitation comes either through saturation of the access path to shared memory, or through the rapid growth of switch cost.

The hierarchical switching structure of Cm offers, in principle, indefinite extensibility of processing power, memory capacity and communication bandwidth. The cost of the interconnection structure grows approximately linearly with system size. Effective use of the structure depends on suitable decompositions of applications.

Thesis Committee:
Samuel Fuller (Chair)

Joseph Traub, Head, Computer Science Department