Brent N. Chun, Alan M. Mainwaring and David E. Culler

EECS Department
University of California, Berkeley
Technical Report No. UCB/CSD-98-988
1998

http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/1998/CSD-98-988.pdf

This paper describes a protocol for a general-purpose cluster communication system that supports multiprogramming with virtual networks, direct and protected network access, reliable message delivery using message timeouts and retransmissions, a powerful return-to-send error model for applications, and automatic network mapping. The protocols use simple, low-cost mechanisms that exploit properties of our interconnect without limiting flexibility, usability or robustness. We have implemented the protocols in an active message communication system that runs a network of 100+ Sun UltraSPARC workstations interconnected with 40 Myrinet switches. A progression of microbenchmarks demonstrate good performance -- 42 microsecond round-trip times and 31 MB/s node to node bandwidth -- as well as scalability under heavy load and graceful performance degradation in the presence of high contention.

BibTeX citation:

@techreport{Chun:CSD-98-988,
    Author = {Chun, Brent N. and Mainwaring, Alan M. and Culler, David E.},
    Title = {Virtual Network Transport Protocols for Myrinet},
    Institution = {EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley},
    Year = {1998},
    URL = {http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/1998/5432.html},
    Number = {UCB/CSD-98-988},
    Abstract = {This paper describes a protocol for a general-purpose cluster communication system that supports multiprogramming with virtual networks, direct and protected network access, reliable message delivery using message timeouts and retransmissions, a powerful return-to-send error model for applications, and automatic network mapping. The protocols use simple, low-cost mechanisms that exploit properties of our interconnect without limiting flexibility, usability or robustness. We have implemented the protocols in an active message communication system that runs a network of 100+ Sun UltraSPARC workstations interconnected with 40 Myrinet switches. A progression of microbenchmarks demonstrate good performance -- 42 microsecond round-trip times and 31 MB/s node to node bandwidth -- as well as scalability under heavy load and graceful performance degradation in the presence of high contention.}
}

EndNote citation:

%0 Report
%A Chun, Brent N.
%A Mainwaring, Alan M.
%A Culler, David E.
%T Virtual Network Transport Protocols for Myrinet
%I EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley
%D 1998
%@ UCB/CSD-98-988
%U http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/1998/5432.html
%F Chun:CSD-98-988