Communication and computation performance of the CM-5

• Main Authors: Kwan, T. T., Totty, B. K., Reed, D. A.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Communication system control; Computer networks; Computer science; Computer systems organization > Architectures > Distributed architectures > Grid computing; Computer systems organization > Architectures > Parallel architectures; Computer systems organization > Architectures > Parallel architectures > Interconnection architectures; Computer systems organization > Architectures > Parallel architectures > Multicore architectures; Computer systems organization > Architectures > Serial architectures > Superscalar architectures; Computing methodologies > Modeling and simulation > Simulation types and techniques > Massively parallel and high-performance simulations; Contracts; General and reference > Cross-computing tools and techniques > Performance; Libraries; Multiprocessor interconnection networks; Network interfaces; Software and its engineering > Software organization and properties > Software system structures > Distributed systems organizing principles > Grid computing; Software performance; Software testing; System testing
• ISSN: 1063-9535
• DOI: 10.1145/169627.169691

The Thinking Machines CM-5 is one of the first of a new generation of massively parallel systems. To assess the scalability of the CM-5's computation and interprocessor communication rates, a series of benchmarks was used to measure the performance of the CM-5 data and control networks, the node vector units, and the balance of computation and communication. At the application level, the achievable communication bandwidth and processing rates were found to be roughly 50% and 40%, respectively, of the corresponding theoretical peak rates. The early assessment is that the CM-5 is scalable but that a better balance of communication and processing rates would increase its effectiveness.