Monitoring and Controlling Remote Parallel Computations using Schooner.

Zhanliang Chen and Richard D. Schlichting

Department of Computer Science
The University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
{zchen, rick}@cs.arizona.edu

Abstract

Scientific visualization systems such as AVS have the potential to help users of parallel systems monitor and control their computations. Unfortunately, the machines most suitable for visualization systems are not the parallel systems on which the computation executes, often leading to the use of two distinct machines and the viewing of results only after the computation has completed. Here, an approach to solving this problem is presented in which AVS and a remote parallel computation are incorporated into a single metacomputation using the Schooner software interconnection system. This scheme gives the user enhanced control, including the ability to dynamically select the parallel platform to be used, monitor the progress of the computation, and modify parameters. An example application is described in which AVS and a parallel neural net code executing on either an Intel Paragon, Sequent Symmetry, or PVM-based Sun Sparcstation cluster are interconnected. These experiments demonstrate not just the feasibility of structuring parallel computations as part of a larger metacomputation using Schooner, but also that these benefits can be achieved with only modest cost.

Proceedings 9th International Parallel Processing Symposium, Santa Barbara, CA (April 1995), 614-620.

compressed postscript (59K)

postscript (140K)

back to publications page