Multiple crossbar network integrated supercomputing framework

ABSTRACT

At Los Alamos National Laboratory, site of one of the world's most powerful scientific supercomputing facilities, a prototype network for an environment that links supercomputers and workstations is being developed. Driven by a need to provide graphics data at movie rates across a network from a supercomputer to a scientific workstation, the network is called the Multiple Crossbar Network (MCN). It is intended to be a coarsely-grained, loosely-coupled, general-purpose multicomputer framework that will vastly increase the speed at which supercomputers communicate with each other in large networks. The components of the network are described, as well as work done in collaboration with vendors who are interested in providing commercial products.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.5 COMPUTER SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
      C.5.1 Large and Medium ("Mainframe") Computers
          Subjects: Super (very large) computers

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design
          Subjects: Network communications; Circuit-switching networks

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Performance