Performance Analysis of Combining Multistage Interconnection Networks

Concurrent access to a shared variable may cause network saturation in parallel computers. This problem, commonly termed as hot spot contention, can be alliviated by combining requests destined to the hot memory module. In this paper, we propose an analytical model to predict performance of combining multistage interconnection networks. The model considers realistic assumptions like finite length buffers in the switches, deterministic service time, finite degree of combining. Simulation results are used to validate the analytical model.