CSC/ECE 506 Spring 2012/3a df

Patterns of Parallel Programming

Introduction

Computer programming has gone through several paradigm shifts in regards to how software is design and constructed. In more recent years with the advent of object-oriented programming, an effort was made by the “Gang of Four” to categorize different arrangements and relationships between programming objects in terms of commonly used design patterns. In a similar vein, with recent advances in parallel programming and availability of hardware, there are several common designs that can be drawn from the vast amount of literature available. Although there exists no canonical text for parallel programing as there exists for object oriented programming, there is substantial overlap, which is presented here.

Intuitive Patterns

Intuitive patterns are termed as such because even those with basic knowledge of parallel processes could create their design. They are obvious, straight-forward applications of parallel computing tasks, and their implementation and use are easily implemented even without specialized software packages or advanced algorithm development.

Common Patterns

Common patterns solve parallel design tasks that are readily understood and frequently encountered, but whose implementation could benefit from a more formalized and structured approach. Generally, common parallel patterns can be implemented manually or with a framework with a moderate degree of difficulty depending on the programmer's skill level.

Complex Patterns

Complex patterns involve the interplay between two or more parallel patterns, or are a single pattern that greatly deviates from a common implementation itself. Such algorithms require moderate to advanced programmer skill, and are almost always accompanied by a framework or involve a significant amount of custom "infrastructural" code to accomodate the needs of the architecture.

Formalization

Formalization describes the efforts of the programming community to devise tools which can aid programmers in designing software which follows standardized (whether international/documented or by practice) procedures, methods, and templates for performing parallel operations. These tools may be purely documentation pieces, frameworks, examples, academic papers, etc.

References

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