Methodologies and Systems for Heterogeneous Concurrent Computing

Heterogeneous concurrent computing is gaining increasing acceptance as an alternative or complementary paradigm to multiprocessor-based parallel processing as well as to conventional supercomputing. While algorithmic and programming aspects of heterogeneous concurrent computing are similar to their parallel processing counterparts, system issues, partitioning and scheduling, and performance aspects are signiicantly diierent. In this paper, we discuss critical design and implementation issues in heterogeneous concurrent computing, and describe techniques for enhancing its eeectiveness. In particular, we highlight the system level infrastructures that are required, aspects of parallel algorithm development that most aaect performance, system capabilities and limitations, and tools and methodologies for eeective computing in heterogeneous networked environments. We also present recent developments and experiences in the context of the PVM system, and comment on ongoing and future work.