The NX/2 operating system

ABSTRACT

NX/2 is the operating system which runs on the nodes of the Intel iPSC®/2 concurrent supercomputer. NX/2 provides all of the standard system services found in the original iPSC node operating system, such as memory management, multiple process control, message passing services, and intertask protection. This paper focuses on the major node operating system enhancements brought about by two different requirements. First, NX/2 had to support very high speed and high throughput message passing. In this regard, we show how NX/2 was tuned to the 32-bit architecture of the iPSC/2 nodes and the Direct Connect technology used to implement the communication subsystem. Second, NX/2 had to support a more streamlined and flexible set of message passing service calls. In this regard, we describe the new set of message passing system calls and discuss how NX/2 implements them. The calls range from a simple, effective set of synchronous calls to advanced asynchronous calls which allow overlap of message passing and processing as well as interrupt-driven message handling.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.4 OPERATING SYSTEMS

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design
          Subjects: Network communications
  C.5 COMPUTER SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
      C.5.1 Large and Medium ("Mainframe") Computers
          Subjects: Super (very large) computers

  D. Software
  D.4 OPERATING SYSTEMS
      D.4.4 Communications Management
          Subjects: Message sending

General Terms:
Design, Performance