Distributed Particle Simulation Using Heterogeneous Supercomputers

摘要

We describe the implementation and performance of a three dimensional particle simulation distributed between a Thinking Machines CM-2 and a Cray Research Y-MP. These are connected by a combination of two high-speed networks; a High Performance Parallel Interface (HIPPI) attached to the CM-2, and an optical network (UltraNet). This is the first application to use this configuration at NASA Ames. We describe our experience implementing and using the application and report the results of several timing measurements. We show that the distribution of applications across disparate supercomputing platforms is feasible and has reasonable performance. In addition, several practical aspects of the computing environment are discussed.