Interconnections For Computer Communications And Packet Networks

This book introduces different interconnection networks applied to different systems. Interconnection networks are used to communicate processing units in a multi-processor system, routers in communication networks, and servers in data centers. Queuing techniques are applied to interconnection networks to support a higher utilization of resources. There are different queuing strategies, and these determine not only the performance of the interconnection network, but also the set of requirements to make them work effectively and their cost. Routing algorithms are used to find routes to destinations and directions in what information travels. Additional properties, such as avoiding deadlocks and congestion, are sought. Effective routing algorithms need to be paired up with these networks. The book will introduce the most relevant interconnection networks, queuing strategies, and routing algorithm. It discusses their properties and how these leverage the performance of the whole interconnection system. In addition, the book covers additional topics for memory management and congestion avoidance, used to extract higher performance from the interconnection network.

Foreword -- Foreword to the First Printing -- Preface -- Chapter 1 -- Introduction -- Chapter 2 -- Message Switching Layer -- Chapter 3 -- Deadlock, Livelock, and Starvation -- Chapter 4 -- Routing Algorithms -- Chapter 5 -- CollectiveCommunicationSupport -- Chapter 6 -- Fault-Tolerant Routing -- Chapter 7 -- Network Architectures -- Chapter 8 -- Messaging Layer Software -- Chapter 9 -- Performance Evaluation -- Appendix A -- Formal Definitions for Deadlock Avoidance -- Appendix B -- Acronyms -- References -- Index.

This book introduces different interconnection networks applied to different systems. Interconnection networks are used to communicate processing units in a multi-processor system, routers in communication networks, and servers in data centers. Queuing techniques are applied to interconnection networks to support a higher utilization of resources. There are different queuing strategies, and these determine not only the performance of the interconnection network, but also the set of requirements to make them work effectively and their cost. Routing algorithms are used to find routes to destinations and directions in what information travels. Additional properties, such as avoiding deadlocks and congestion, are sought. Effective routing algorithms need to be paired up with these networks. The book will introduce the most relevant interconnection networks, queuing strategies, and routing algorithm. It discusses their properties and how these leverage the performance of the whole interconnection system. In addition, the book covers additional topics for memory management and congestion avoidance, used to extract higher performance from the interconnection network.

This introduction to networking large scale parallel computer systems acts as a primary resource for a wide readership, including network systems engineers, electronics engineers, systems designers, computer scientists involved in systems design and implementation of parallel algorithms development, graduate students in systems architecture, design, or engineering.

The performance of most digital systems today is limited by their communication or interconnection, not by their logic or memory. As designers strive to make more efficient use of scarce interconnection bandwidth, interconnection networks are emerging as a nearly universal solution to the system-level communication problems for modern digital systems. Interconnection networks have become pervasive in their traditional application as processor-memory and processor-processor interconnect. Point-to-point interconnection networks have replaced buses in an ever widening range of applications that include on-chip interconnect, switches and routers, and I/O systems. In this book, the authors present in a structured way the basic underlying concepts of most interconnection networks and provide representative solutions that have been implemented in the industry or proposed in the research literature. * Gives a coherent, comprehensive treatment of the entire field * Presents a formal statement of the basic concepts, alternative design choices, and design trade-offs * Provides thorough classifications, clear descriptions, accurate definitions, and unified views to structure the knowledge on interconnection networks * Focuses on issues critical to designers

This book offers a detailed and comprehensive presentation of the basic principles of interconnection network design clearly illustrating them with numerous examples and case studies. It incorporates hardware-level descriptions of concepts.

The subject of computer communications is changing very rapidly. Improvements in terminal access, aligned with the development of timesharing, has brought hands-on experience to a large number of non specialist users. Computer networks have made available vast computing resources and data banks to these users. This book is for anyone familiar with using computers who wishes to understand the techniques used in computer communications. It is also an introduction to the architecture of present day computer communication systems. I would like to thank Roland lbbett, Steve Treadwell, Peter Kirstein and Del Thomas for their invaluable advice and encouragement. My thanks also to Malcolm Stewart and the staff at Macmillan. The late Gareth Pugh encouraged my interest in computer communications and provided the opportunity to develop the material for this book. The text was formatted on a UNIX computer system: I am grateful to Professor Kirstein for permission to use this system. I am indebted to NEC Telecommunications Europe for the use of a spinwriter printer on which the master copy was produced. Finally, no amount of words can express my debt to Jo this project and Rosemary for patiently bearing with over the last three years.