Performance Evaluation of the Myrias SPS-2 Computer
Abstract
The Myrias SPS-2 is the first massively parallel computer to provide a MIMD shared-memory programming model. Systems have been built with up to 1,024 nodes, although the experiments reported here were all performed on a 64 node system. We describe the system in some detail, particularly the software environment for applications programming. The highlight of the software environment is the virtual shared memory environment. We have analyzed the performance of the shared memory environment by studying system efficiency as a function of both number of processors in use and of paging activity. We conclude that the system is robust and provides high efficiency for tasks of granularity about 100,000 floating point operations. However there is about a 50% overhead for the luxury of utilizing virtual shared memory. Programming the system is enormously easier than for other local memory MIMD systems. Our performance studies start with measurements of simple saxpy type numerical processes. We also describe the implementation and performance of Poisson type relaxation kernels in one, two and three dimensions, as well as a complete application from the oceano-graphic modeling area (the Shallow Water Equations). Efficiency was high as long as task granularity was sufficiently large.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA446570
Entities
People
- Oliver A. Mcbryan
- Roldan Pozo
Organizations
- University of Colorado Boulder