CSC 456 Spring 2012/11b AB
Large-Scale Multiprocessors
Manufacturers
In order to build a large-scale multiprocessor (LSM), you will need to choose the right processors, as well as the most appropriate cabinet(s) to place them in. There are several different manufacturers of processors and cabinets that can be used in LSM configurations. For example, Fujitsu's K computer (the number one ranked supercomputer on TOP500's November 2011 list) uses a configuration of 88,128 SPARC64 VIIIfx processors. This means it has a total of 705,024 cores at its use<ref name="k computer"/>. Additional examples of processors used in LSMs can be found in Table 1.
| Manufacturer | Processor | Cores | Clock Rate | Architecture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fujitsu | SPARC64 VIIIfx<ref name="fujitsu proc"/> | 8 | 2.0 GHz | SPARC |
| Intel | Xeon 7500<ref name="intel proc"/> | 8 | 1.733-2.667 GHz | Nehalem |
| IBM | POWER7<ref name="ibm proc"/> | 8 | 2.4-4.25 GHz | Power ISA v.2.06 |
| AMD | Opteron 6100<ref name="amd proc"/> | 12 | 1.7-2.4 GHz | Direct Connect 2.0 |
Like processors, different manufacturers offer varying cabinet/server types, such as IBM's BladeCenter HT. This particular model uses their CoolBlue technology, a set of tools that allows the user to have greater control over cooling and power use. There are also some standard cabinet frames, such as 19-inch racks, which get their name from the 19-inch panels used in their design. Typically, these racks allow for easy processor/server installation and removal. <ref name="19 inch rack"/>
| Manufacturer | Cabinet | Blade Count |
|---|---|---|
| SuperMicro | MP Superserver 8064B-TRLF<ref name="supermicro chassis"/> | 4 |
| HP | Integrity Superdome 2<ref name="hp chassis"/> | 32 |
| IBM | BladeCenter HT<ref name="ibm chassis"/> | 12 |
Assembling
Network Topology
There are many different ways to connect the network of processors. Each network type has different properties and values related to their diameter, bisection bandwidth, and degree. The diameter of a network is the longest number of network hops between any pair of nodes. Bisection bandwidth refers to the minimum number of links that need to be cut to divide the network in half. The degree of a network refers to the number of in/out links on each node. The following figure displays some examples.
The following table gives some more detail on the different characteristics of some network types. "p" is the number of nodes, "d" is dimensions, and "k" is the number of nodes in each dimension.
| Topology | Diameter | Bandwidth | Degree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ring | p/2 | 2 | 2 |
| k-ary d Mesh | 2(sqrt(p) - 1) | sqrt(p) | 4 |
| Line | p - 1 | 1 | 2 |
| k-ary Tree | 2 x log_k(p) | 1 | k+1 |
| Fully Connected | log_2(p) | p/2 | log_2(p) |
Coherence
For LSMs that use a Distributed Shared Memory (DSM) architecture, cache coherence is an important issue. In 1990, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that it was possible to build to build a coherent LSM using a directory-based approach with the Alewife multiprocessor <ref name="alewife"/>. A modern example is the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center's Blacklight, a supercomputer with hardware-enabled shared coherent memory <ref name="blacklight"/>.
On the other hand, some LSMs use distributed memory systems, meaning that each of the processors has its own private memory, making cache coherency a non-issue. Fujitsu's K computer is an example of such a system <ref name="k computer"/>.
References
<references> <ref name="fujitsu proc">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARC64_VIIIfx</ref> <ref name="intel proc">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeon#6500.2F7500-series_.22Beckton.22</ref> <ref name="ibm proc">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power7</ref> <ref name="amd proc">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opteron#Opteron_.2845_nm_SOI.29</ref> <ref name="supermicro chassis">http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/4U/8046/SYS-8046B-TRLF.cfm</ref> <ref name="hp chassis">http://h20341.www2.hp.com/integrity/us/en/high-end/integrity-high-end-servers-superdome2.html</ref> <ref name="ibm chassis">http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/bladecenter/hardware/chassis/bladeht/index.html</ref> <ref name="k computer">http://top500.org/lists/2011/11/press-release</ref> <ref name="19 inch rack">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19-inch_rack</ref> <ref name="alewife">http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-oLJbStOeAEJ:groups.csail.mit.edu/cag/pub/papers/chaiken-thesis.ps.Z+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a</ref> <ref name="blacklight">http://www.psc.edu/machines/sgi/uv/blacklight.php</ref> <ref name="topology">http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Communication_Networks/Network_Topologies</ref> <ref name="k computer image">http://www.top500.org/files/systems/k.jpg</ref> </references>
