Showing papers on "Myrinet published in 1995"
TL;DR: The Myrinet local area network employs the same technology used for packet communication and switching within massively parallel processors, but with the highest performance per unit cost of any current LAN.
Abstract: The Myrinet local area network employs the same technology used for packet communication and switching within massively parallel processors. In realizing this distributed MPP network, we developed specialized communication channels, cut-through switches, host interfaces, and software. To our knowledge, Myrinet demonstrates the highest performance per unit cost of any current LAN. >
1,857 citations
03 Dec 1995
TL;DR: U-Net as mentioned in this paper provides processes with a virtual view of a network interface to enable user-level access to high-speed communication devices using off-the-shelf ATM communication hardware.
Abstract: The U-Net communication architecture provides processes with a virtual view of a network interface to enable userlevel access to high-speed communication devices. The architecture, implemented on standard workstations using offthe-shelf ATM communication hardware, removes the kernel from the communication path, while still providing full protection. The model presented by U-Net allows for the construction of protocols at user level whose performance is only limited by the capabilities of network. The architecture is extremely flexible in the sense that traditional protocols like TCP and UDP, as well as novel abstractions like Active Messages can be implemented efficiently. A U-Net prototype on an 8node ATM cluster of standard workstations offers 65 microseconds round-trip latency and 15 Mbytes/sec bandwidth. It achieves TCP performance at maximum network bandwidth and demonstrates performance equivalent to Meiko CS-2 and TMC CM-5 supercomputers on a set of Split-C benchmarks.
809 citations
08 Dec 1995
TL;DR: The FM messaging primitives and the critical design issues in building a low-latency messaging layers for workstation clusters are described and detailed measurements show how each of these features contribute to high performance.
Abstract: In most computer systems, software overhead dominates the cost of messaging, reducing delivered performance, especially for short messages. Efficient software messaging layers are needed to deliver the hardware performance to the application level and to support tightly-coupled workstation clusters. Illinois Fast Messages (FM) 1.0 is a high speed messaging layer that delivers low latency and high bandwidth for short messages. For 128-byte packets, FM achieves bandwidths of 16.2MB/s and one-way latencies 32 µs on Myrinet-connected SPARCstations (user-level to user-level). For shorter packets, we have measured one-way latencies of 25 µs, and for larger packets, bandwidth as high as to 19.6MB/s — delivered bandwidth greater than OC-3. FM is also superior to the Myrinet API messaging layer, not just in terms of latency and usable bandwidth, but also in terms of the message half-power point (n_{\frac{1}{2}}), which is two orders of magnitude smaller (54 vs. 4,409 bytes). We describe the FM messaging primitives and the critical design issues in building a low-latency messaging layers for workstation clusters. Several issues are critical: the division of labor between host and network coprocessor, management of the input/output (I/O) bus, and buffer management. To achieve high performance, messaging layers should assign as much functionality as possible to the host. If the network interface has DMA capability, the I/Obus should be used asymmetrically, with the host processor moving data to the network and exploiting DMA to move data to the host. Finally, buffer management should be extremely simple in the network coprocessor and match queue structures between the network coprocessor and host memory. Detailed measurements show how each of these features contribute to high performance.
392 citations
01 Jan 1995
TL;DR: A systematic performance assessment of the hardware and software that provides the interface between applications and emerging high-speed networks is presented and a set of communication microbenchmarks are devised using LogP as a conceptual framework and Active Messages as the communication layer.
Abstract: We present a systematic performance assessment of the hardware and software that provides the interface between applications and emerging high-speed networks. Using LogP as a conceptual framework and Active Messages as the communication layer, we devise a set of communication microbenchmarks. These generate a graphical signature fr om which we extract the LogP performance parameters of latency , overhead, and bandwidth. The method is illustrated on three diverse platforms: Intel Paragon, Meiko CS-2, and a cluster of Spar cStations with Myrinet. The study provides a detailed breakdown of the differences in communication performance among the platforms. While the details of our microbenchmark depend on Active Messages, the methodology can be applied to conventional communication layers.
72 citations