The Network Architecture of the Connection Machine CM-5

Abstract

The Connection Machine Model CM-5 Supercomputer is a massively parallel computer system designed to offer performance in the range of 1 teraflops (10 12 floating-point operations per second). The CM-5 obtains its high performance while offering ease of programming, flexibility, and reliability. The machine contains three communication networks: a data network, a control network, and a diagnostic network. This paper describes the organization of these three networks and how they contribute to the design goals of the CM-5. 1 Introduction In the design of a parallel computer, the engineering principle of economy of mechanism suggests that the machine should employ only a single communication network to convey information among the processors in the system. Indeed, many parallel computers contain only a single network: typically, a hypercube or a mesh. The Connection Machine Model CM-5 Supercomputer has three networks, however, and none is a hypercube or a mesh. This paper describes the..