Bus interconnection networks

AbstractIn bus interconnection networks every bus provides a communication medium between a set of processors. These networks are modeled by hypergraphs where vertices represent the processors and edges represent the buses. We survey the results obtained on the construction methods that connect a large number of processors in a bus network with given maximum processor degree Δ, maximum bus size r, and network diameter D. (In hypergraph terminology this problem is known as the (Δ,D, r)-hypergraph problem.)The problem for point-to-point networks (the case r = 2) has been extensively studied in the literature. As a result, several families of networks have been proposed. Some of these point-to-point networks can be used in the construction of bus networks. One approach is to consider the dual of the network. We survey some families of bus networks obtained in this manner. Another approach is to view the point-to-point networks as a special case of the bus networks and to generalize the known constructions to bus networks. We provide a summary of the tools developed in the theory of hypergraphs and directed hypergraphs to handle this approach

Combinatorial Design and Analysis of Optimal Multiple Bus Systems for Parallel Algorithms.

This dissertation develops a formal and systematic methodology for designing optimal, synchronous multiple bus systems (MBSs) realizing given (classes of) parallel algorithms. Our approach utilizes graph and group theoretic concepts to develop the necessary model and procedural tools. By partitioning the vertex set of the graphical representation CFG of the algorithm, we extract a set of interconnection functions that represents the interprocessor communication requirement of the algorithm. We prove that the optimal partitioning problem is NP-Hard. However, we show how to obtain polynomial time solutions by exploiting certain regularities present in many well-behaved parallel algorithms. The extracted set of interconnection functions is represented by an edge colored, directed graph called interconnection function graph (IFG). We show that the problem of constructing an optimal MBS to realize an IFG is NP-Hard. We show important special cases where polynomial time solutions exist. In particular, we prove that polynomial time solutions exist when the IFG is vertex symmetric. This is the case of interest for the vast majority of important interconnection function sets, whether extracted from algorithms or correspond to existing interconnection networks. We show that an IFG is vertex symmetric if and only if it is the Cayley color graph of a finite group $\Gamma$ and its generating set $\Delta.$ Using this property, we present a particular scheme to construct a symmetric $MBS\ M(\Gamma,\Delta)$ with minimum number of buses as well as minimum number of interfaces realizing a vertex symmetric IFG. We demonstrate several advantages of the optimal $MBS\ M(\Gamma,\Delta)$ in terms of its symmetry, number of ports per processor, number of neighbors per processor, and the diameter. We also investigate the fault tolerant capabilities and performance degradation of $M(\Gamma,\Delta)$ in the case of a single bus failure, single driver failure, single receiver failure, and single processor failure. Further, we address the problem of designing an optimal MBS realizing a class of algorithms when the number of buses and/or processors in the target MBS are specified. The optimality criteria are maximizing the speed and minimizing the number of interfaces

1990-1995 Brock Campus News

A compilation of the administration newspaper, Brock Campus News, for the years 1990 through 1995. It had previously been titled The Blue Badger