Experience with Parallel Programming Using Code Templates

For almost a decade we have been working at developing and using template-based models for parallel computing. Template-based models separate the specification of the parallel structuring aspects from the application code that is to be parallelized. A user provides the application code and specifies the parallel structure of the application using high-level icons, called templates. The parallel programming system then generates the code necessary for parallelizing the application. The goal here is to provide a mechanism for quick and reliable development of coarse-grain parallel applications that employ frequently occurring parallel structures. Our initial template-based system, FrameWorks, was positively received but had a number of shortcomings. The Enterprise parallel programming environment evolved out of this work. Now, after several years of experience with the system, its shortcomings are becoming evident. Controlled experiments have been conducted to assess the usability of our..