Analysis of a multiple-bus multicomputer system

The author presents statistical models, simulation and experimental results, and an implementation of a multicomputer system particularly suited for applications where a set of operations must be performed on a stream of data blocks, such as in the processing of large number of images. This system consists of N satellite computers and M central computers interconnected by M buses, so that any satellite can communicate with any central computer. Data blocks are transferred by the central computers to the satellites, where they are processed. The system performance measures are the satellite idle time and the increase in processing speed over a single computer system. Two models of system operation from which the idle time can be related to the statistical properties of the transfer and processing times are developed