A distributed operating system for a binary tree multiprocessor

Abstract

In a massively parallel processing system consisting of hundreds or thousands of processors, the shared data system is unfeasible and the distributed data system seems more promising. Among other architectures the binary tree structure is considered most excellent. Some characteristics of the binary tree multiprocessor, which is named CORAL, are discussed. An operating system for CORAL is designed and named CORALOS. CORALOS is a distributed operating system which has an intensively hierarchical structure. The elementary functions of the operating system are distributed to the groups of OS modules, each one of which consists of a master module and as many slave modules as the processors. Although the slave modules operate independent of each other, they have to respond to the requests delivered from their master module and also report to it when any unusual conditions ocurr. Among the groups of OS modules, the packet handler takes a key role interprocessor communications. Distribution and broadcasting of data are supported by a master packet handler and slave packet handlers. The job program is decomposed and distributed to the processors and is executed as job processes. As an example of the operation of the system, parallel solution of partial differential equation in one dimensional heat conduction problem is illustrated.