Retargetable high performance Fortran compiler challenges

The authors establish the need for a retargetable high performance Fortran (HPF) compilation system, discuss the various parallel systems, describe some of the technical compiler requirements needed to create a retargetable HPF compiler, and touch upon some of the issues related to compiler development such as tools and debugging. It is noted that HPF brings with it the promise of the first widely accepted portable data-parallel programming model for application developers. However, HPF presents a number of challenges for software development tool suppliers desiring to build effective HPF compilers targeting a wide variety of high-performance computing multiple-instruction multiple-data (MIMD) systems. These targets may include the massively parallel processor MIMD sytems, high-end shared-memory systems, or even clusters of workstations cooperating over a network.<>