Explicit parallel programming

While many parallel programming languages exist, they rarely address programming languages from the issue of communication (implying expressability, and readability). A new language called Explicit Parallel Programming (EPP), attempts to provide this quality by separating the responsibility for the execution of run time actions from the responsibility for deciding the order in which they occur. The ordering of a parallel algorithm is specified in the new EPP language; run time actions are written in FORTRAN and embedded in the EPP code, from which they are later extracted and given to a FORTRAN compiler for compilation. The separation of order and run time actions is taken to its logical extreme in an attempt to evaluate its benefits and costs in the parallel environment. As part of the evaluation, a compiler and executive were implemented on a Sequent Symmetry 881 shared memory multiprocessor computer. The design decisions and difficulties in implementation are discussed at some length, since certain problems are unique to this approach. In the final evaluation, the EPP project asserts that structured, parallel programming languages require a significant amount of interaction with an over-seeing task in order to provide some basic, desirable functions. It also asserts that the description of run time actions (e.g., expression syntax) need not change from the uniprocessor environment to the multiprocessor environment.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer Science and Applications

Department dc:contributor.department

Computer Science and Applications

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1990

Author dc:creator

• Gamble, James Graham

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Ribbens, Calvin J.
• Watson, Layne T.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Arthur, James D.
• Kafura, Dennis G.
• Henry, Sallie M.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-06082009-171019

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/42910