Recent Advances in Graph Partitioning

We survey recent trends in practical algorithms for balanced graph partitioning together with applications and future research directions

RIACS

Topics considered include: high-performance computing; cognitive and perceptual prostheses (computational aids designed to leverage human abilities); autonomous systems. Also included: development of a 3D unstructured grid code based on a finite volume formulation and applied to the Navier-stokes equations; Cartesian grid methods for complex geometry; multigrid methods for solving elliptic problems on unstructured grids; algebraic non-overlapping domain decomposition methods for compressible fluid flow problems on unstructured meshes; numerical methods for the compressible navier-stokes equations with application to aerodynamic flows; research in aerodynamic shape optimization; S-HARP: a parallel dynamic spectral partitioner; numerical schemes for the Hamilton-Jacobi and level set equations on triangulated domains; application of high-order shock capturing schemes to direct simulation of turbulence; multicast technology; network testbeds; supercomputer consolidation project

Fast and Stable Repartitioning of Road Networks

We study the problem of graph partitioning for evolving road networks. While the road network of the world is mostly stable, small updates happen on a relatively frequent basis, as can been observed with the OpenStreetMap project (http://www.openstreetmap.org). For various reasons, professional applications demand the graph partition to stay roughly the same over time, and that changes are limited to areas where graph updates occur. In this work, we define the problem, present algorithms to satisfy the stability needs, and evaluate our techniques on continental-sized road networks. Besides the stability gains, we show that, when the changes are low and local, running our novel techniques is an order of magnitude faster than running graph partitioning from scratch

A Domain-Decomposed Multilevel Method for Adaptively Refined Cartesian Grids with Embedded Boundaries

Preliminary verification and validation of an efficient Euler solver for adaptively refined Cartesian meshes with embedded boundaries is presented. The parallel, multilevel method makes use of a new on-the-fly parallel domain decomposition strategy based upon the use of space-filling curves, and automatically generates a sequence of coarse meshes for processing by the multigrid smoother. The coarse mesh generation algorithm produces grids which completely cover the computational domain at every level in the mesh hierarchy. A series of examples on realistically complex three-dimensional configurations demonstrate that this new coarsening algorithm reliably achieves mesh coarsening ratios in excess of 7 on adaptively refined meshes. Numerical investigations of the scheme's local truncation error demonstrate an achieved order of accuracy between 1.82 and 1.88. Convergence results for the multigrid scheme are presented for both subsonic and transonic test cases and demonstrate W-cycle multigrid convergence rates between 0.84 and 0.94. Preliminary parallel scalability tests on both simple wing and complex complete aircraft geometries shows a computational speedup of 52 on 64 processors using the run-time mesh partitioner

Graph Repartitioning with both Dynamic Load and Dynamic Processor Allocation

International audienceDynamic load balancing is an important step conditioning the performance of parallel programs, like adaptive mesh refinement codes. If the global workload varies drastically over time (such that memory is exceeded), it can be relevant to adjust the number of processors while maintaining the load balanced. We propose two different solutions, that extend classic graph repartitioning approaches to accept a variable number of processors: one based on biased partitioning method and one based on a diffusive method. We call this problem: the MxN graph repartitioning problem. Finally, an experimental study on real-life graphs validates our algorithms against state-of-the-art methods

RIACS

The Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) was established by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) at the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) on June 6, 1983. RIACS is privately operated by USRA, a consortium of universities that serves as a bridge between NASA and the academic community. Under a five-year co-operative agreement with NASA, research at RIACS is focused on areas that are strategically enabling to the Ames Research Center's role as NASA's Center of Excellence for Information Technology. The primary mission of RIACS is charted to carry out research and development in computer science. This work is devoted in the main to tasks that are strategically enabling with respect to NASA's bold mission in space exploration and aeronautics. There are three foci for this work: (1) Automated Reasoning. (2) Human-Centered Computing. and (3) High Performance Computing and Networking. RIACS has the additional goal of broadening the base of researcher in these areas of importance to the nation's space and aeronautics enterprises. Through its visiting scientist program, RIACS facilitates the participation of university-based researchers, including both faculty and students, in the research activities of NASA and RIACS. RIACS researchers work in close collaboration with NASA computer scientists on projects such as the Remote Agent Experiment on Deep Space One mission, and Super-Resolution Surface Modeling

Space and time adaptation for parallel applications via data over-partitioning.

Adaptive resource allocation is a new feature to run parallel applications. It is used to obtain better space and time sharing according to current workload, to schedule around obstacles through reservation and to cope with lack of accurate predictability on heterogeneous resources. The implementation of resource adaptation is potentially very expensive if total remapping or partitioning from scratch has to be performed. The existing popular run-time systems include AMPI and Dome. AMPI, which uses huge numbers of threads in MPI process to implement resource adaptation, suffers from frequent thread switches and loss of cache locality; and Dome, an object-based migration environment, suffers from lack of general language supports. When resource adaptation occurs, load balancing techniques are used to allocate the workload fairly across processors, so that each processor takes roughly the same time to execute the processes assigned to it, and that every processor has the same workload to obtain the best performance and maximize resource utilization. This thesis proposes a novel approach---Adaptive Time/space sharing via Over-Partitioning (ATOP)---to implement resource adaptation with better performance in terms of time overhead. Total workload is represented by a data graph. ATOP performs over-partitioning on the graph to create a certain number of workload pieces, or partitions, while processing partitions per processor as one data collection in a single MPI process. Typically, the number of partitions is set equal to the number of processors potentially allocated. This approach is feasible for the applications using 2n processors. In the cases where our over-partitioning approach does not perform well, or non-fitting numbers of resources need to be chosen, ATOP still provides the alternative option to repartition from scratch. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2004 .H36. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-03, page: 0876. Adviser: A. C. Sodan. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004