Unit 6:Distributed Memory Architecture.

Point 1–Loosely Coupled Architecture.

Dr. Mrs Mamata Sachin Kalas

Email id:[email protected]
 Introduction
• A multiprocessor system is an interconnection of two or more
CPUs with memory and input-output equipment.
• The term “processor” in multiprocessor can mean either a
central processing unit (CPU) or an input-output processor
(IOP).
• Multiprocessors are classified as multiple instruction stream,
multiple data stream (MIMD) systems.

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 Multiprocessor
• Attributes of multiprocessor:
1. Single computer with multiple processor.
2. Processors communicate and cooperate at different levels.
• Communication occurs by:
sending messages or sharing common memory.
• Multiprocessor and multicomputer proposed same basic goal-
concurrent operations in the system.

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 Introduction(cont.)
• The similarity and distinction between
multiprocessor and multicomputer are
– Similarity
• Both support concurrent operations
– Distinction
• The network consists of several autonomous computers that may
or may not communicate with each other.
• A multiprocessor system is controlled by one operating system
that provides interaction between processors and all the
components of the system cooperate in the solution of a problem.

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 Introduction(cont.)
• Multiprocessing improves the reliability of the system.
• The benefit derived from a multiprocessor organization is an
improved system performance.
– Multiple independent jobs can be made to operate in parallel.
– A single job can be partitioned into multiple parallel tasks.
• Multiprocessing can improve performance by decomposing a
program into parallel executable tasks.
– The user can explicitly declare that certain tasks of the program be
executed in parallel.
• This must be done prior to loading the program by specifying the parallel executable segments.
– The other is to provide a compiler with multiprocessor software that
can automatically detect parallelism in a user’s program.

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 Introduction(cont.)
• Multiprocessor are classified by the way their
memory is organized.
– A multiprocessor system with common shared memory is
classified as a shared-memory or tightly coupled
multiprocessor.
• Tolerate a higher degree of interaction between tasks.
– Each processor element with its own private local memory
is classified as a distributed-memory or loosely coupled
system.
• Are most efficient when the interaction between tasks is minimal

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 Tightly coupled Multiprocessor

 A multiprocessor is a tightly coupled computer

system having two or more processing units
(Multiple Processors) each sharing main memory
and peripherals, in order to simultaneously process
programs

 Tightly coupled Multiprocessor is also known as

shared memory system

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 Loosely Coupled Multiprocessor
• Each processor has a set of input-output devices and a large
local memory.
• Computer module: processor, local memory, i/o interface.
• Processes in different CM communicates through MTS.
• Degree of coupling is loose which is determined by
communication topology of MTS.
• Efficient when interactions are minimum.

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 Computer Module
Local
memory I/O
(LM)
Processor
(P)

Channel and
Arbiter
Switch(CAS)

Figure: A computer module

• Consist of processor, local memory, local input output devices and

interface to other computer modules.

• Interface contains a channel and Memory
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Architecture-
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• Computer modules Point
are1.Loosely
connected through MTS.
coupled architecture
 Computer Module connection

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 Role of CAS
• In case of collision while accessing physical segment of the
MTS, CAS choose one of the request according to service
discipline.
• Delays other requests until selected request is serviced
completely.
• The channel within the CAS may have high speed
communication memory.
• Communication memory is used for buffering block transfers
of message.
• Communication memory is accessible to all the processors.

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 MTS
• It determines the performance of multiprocessor system.
• MTS can be implemented as
1. Simple time shared bus
2. Shared memory system
• In case of time shared bus performance is limited by the
message arrival rate on the bus, message length and bus
capacity.
• Shared memory system can be implemented with set of
memory modules and processor memory interconnection
network /multiported main memory. Performance is limited
by memory conflict problem.
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 Working of communication memory
• Communication memory types:
1. Centralized connected to shared bus
2. As a part of shared memory
• Each task has it’s input port in local memory.
• Task in same processor communicate through local input port.
• Tasks allocated to different processors communicate through
communication port in communication memory.
• One communication port is associated with each processor as
input port.

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 Working of Communication memory

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Example : Communication memory
• A process allocated to processor P1 puts a message into i/p
port of another task in P1 marked by arrow ‘a’ in figure.
• Message transfer between processors is shown by arrow
labeled ‘b’.
• Interprocessor communication is two-step:
1. the message first transferred to i/p port in comm.
memory(b1).
2. From comm. Memory it is transferred to i/p port of the
destination process in local memory(b2).

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 Example: cm* Architecture

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 Network of clusters

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 Network of clusters
• Cluster –Lowest level consists of computer modules,K
map and map bus
• Enhance the cooperative ability of the processors in
cluster to operate on shared data with low
communication overhead.
• Provides hardware facilities to execute group of tightly
coupled cooperating processes.
• Kmap –handles any nonlocal reference to memory.
• Clusters communication handled by inter cluster buses
connected between Kmaps.

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 Address mapping in Slocal

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 Kmap

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 Components of K map
• Kbus-Bus controller arbitrates the requests to mapbus.
• Linc –managescommunication between Kmap and
other Kmap.
• Pmap-Mapping processor responds to requests from
Kbus and Linc.
• Performs most of the request processing.
• Three sets of queues provide interfaces between
Kbus,Linc and Pmap.
• Kmap is multiprogrammed to handle 8 concurrent
requests(partitions) called context.
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 Intracluster communication

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 Steps in Intracluster Communication
• Whenever processor of computer module makes nonlocal
reference-Master Cm.
• In response to service requests,Kbus allocates Pmap context
and fetches virtual address of memory reference via mapbus.
• Kbus activates new context containing virtual address.
• Pmap context performs virtual to physical address translation.
• Context is initiated invoking Kbus operation by loading request
in to Kbus outqueue.
• Pmap makes context switch to another runnable context.
• Kmap services out requests by sending physical address via
mapbus to destination Cm.
• Destination Cm completes memory access, signals return
request to Kmap.
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 Intercluster memory access
• Intercluster memory access is done by passing messages via
intercluster bus.
• Messages are of two types:
1. Forward message
2. Return message
• Forward msg invokes new context at dest Kmap. It also
contains source Kmap number and originating Pmap context
number.
• Return msg contains the context number of the context to be
reactivated.

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 Intercluster memory access

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