An efficient organization for large, network-based multicomputer systems

A comprehensive method of organizing polynode systems, that is, multicomputer systems with a potentially large number of elements interconnected by a point-to-point network, is presented. First, an efficient communication method is defined (the performance of which is comparable with that of the iPSC/2-chip) that is completely realized in hardware and eliminates any necessity of using approximation techniques when applying request-response schemes. Distributed decisions based on this communication method provide a versatile mechanism for constructing arbitrary, logical networks with a point-to-point topology. Logical networks serve as basic tools to implement common tasks of a distributed operating system in an efficient and elegant way. A virtual hash tree (VHT) is then chosen as a standard type of a logical network: a VHT can be allotted to an application and can be used by it to administrate object areas in a decentral and dynamic way. Moreover, dedicated logical networks allow applications to formulate distributed algorithms which properly utilize the processing power offered by polynode systems