CSC/ECE 506 Fall 2007/wiki1 6 r8e
Background
Parallel computer architecture has come a long way since parallel computing first began.
Communication Architecture
Three Parallel Programming Models
Many parallel programming models exist, however the most common are described below.
Shared address space programming can be understood best when related to a message or bulletin board. Anyone can post a message on this board, and anyone can read what others have written. The key to the shared address space model is the fact that all of the vital information is posted in shared locations that can be accessed by all.
Message Passing
Message passing machines convey information in a way similar to that of a phone call or a letter. There are very specific events that trigger the movement of information from a unique sender to a unique receiver.
Data Parallel
Data parallel programming is by far the most regulated of the three parallel programming models. In this type of programming work is carried out on different elements of a data set by different