Introduction to Parallel Programming – Part 8

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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Objectives
At the end of this module, you should be able to
Explain the relative advantages and
disadvantages of OpenMP compared to
Win32/Java/POSIX threads
Give examples of
Applications more suitable for a parallel
program based on OpenMP
Applications more suitable for a parallel
program based on Win32/Java/
POSIX threads

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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OpenMP’s Parallel Patterns

Fork/Join Nested
Fork/Join

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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Flexibility of General Threads

Model

Thread terminates
without join
Join

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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Function pthread_create

int pthread_create (
/* Pointer to thread ID */
pthread_t *thread,
/* Pointer to thread attribute object */
const pthread_attr_t *attr,
/* Function thread is to execute */
void *(*start)(void *),
/* Pointer to function argument */
void *arg);

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

5

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Function pthread_join

int pthread_join (
/* Thread ID */
pthread_t thread,
/* Address of thread status pointer */
void **status);

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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Case Study: Fancy Web Browser

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

7

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Case Study: Fancy Web Browser

You can see snapshot of

page before deciding
whether to click on the link
Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model
8

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C Code

page = retrieve_page (url);

find_links (page, &num_links, &link_url);
for (i = 0; i < num_links; i++)
snapshots[i].image = NULL;
for (i = 0; i < num_links; i++)
generate_preview (&snapshots[i]);
display_page (page);

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

9

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OpenMP Design

Threads = Number of links + 1

Forked threads
follow links and
create snapshot
images

Main thread creates Main thread waits

Web page image for created threads
to finish

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

10

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General Threads Design

Threads = Number of links + 1

Forked threads
follow links and
create snapshot
images

Main thread creates

Web page image,
waits for threads
corresponding to
initially visible links,
then continues

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

11

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Parallel Code Design

Main thread
Retrieves page
Identifies links
Forks one thread per link to generate previews
Draws page
Waits for threads responsible for initially visible links
Created thread
Retrieves page and builds snapshot image

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

12

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C / Pthreads Code

page = retrieve_page (url);

find_links (page, &num_links, &link_url);
for (i = 0; i < num_links; i++)
snapshots[i].image = NULL;
for (i = 0; i < num_links; i++)
pthread_create (&thread[i], NULL,
generate_preview, &snapshots[i]);
display_page (page);
for (i = 0; i < num_vis; i++)
if (initially_visible (page, i))
pthread_join (thread[i], NULL);
Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model
13

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Thread States

State Meaning
Ready Able to run, waiting for CPU
Running Executing on a CPU
Blocked Waiting for an something, such as the
completion of an I/O operation or the
availability of a mutex
Terminated Has finished execution by returning
from start function or calling
pthread_exit or being cancelled

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

14

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Beveridge and Wiener’s Tips

Minimize number of data structures shared by

threads
Avoid using global variables
Keep track of the state of all threads, and don’t exit
without waiting for them to complete their work
Let the main thread handle the user interface

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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Key Difference Between Win32/POSIX

and Java Threads
Win32 and POSIX threads can’t survive termination
of main thread
Java threads may still execute when main thread
terminates

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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Why Choose OpenMP?

Easier to make data structures thread-safe

High-level constructs eliminate need to write synchronization
constructs
Easier to change scheduling
Tools for OpenMP are simpler to use than tools for hand
threaded programs (parallelize, debug, tune)
Fewer modifications to source program
Bottom line: Converting threaded C programs to OpenMP can
“increase robustness without sacrificing performance” (Kuhn
et al.)

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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Balanced, Static Applications

g h i
parallel
sections
parallel for j

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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Why Choose X* Threads?

Not all compilers support OpenMP, and those that do don’t support the
same versions/extensions
A hand-threaded program can duplicate all functions of
OpenMP, and more besides
More flexible, dynamic creation of threads
Greater selection of synchronization functions
Can implement a barrier or critical section that affects only some of the
threads
Implementing task-parallel programs is easier
Dynamic, irregular applications that don’t map well to OpenMP
Exception-handling from parallel code not always possible in OpenMP
You can’t set thread priorities with OpenMP
OpenMP doesn’t support real-time scheduling

* X = Win32, Java, or POSIX

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model
19

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Grid Refinement

Used in numerical solutions of partial differential equations

Refinement done locally based on error estimates
Regions needing refinement can move as computation
progresses
Local coarsening can also be helpful

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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Prioritizing Threads

Monster 3
Hero (Low priority)

Monster 1 Monster 2
(High priority) (medium priority)

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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Conclusion

Keep things as simple as possible

If you’re doing a domain decomposition, it is easier
to create, debug, and maintain an OpenMP
program than a WIN32/POSIX threads program
First explore higher-level OpenMP solution
Fall back to lower-level threads API if necessary
If you’re using Java, OpenMP not an option

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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References

Jim Beveridge and Robert Wiener, Multithreading Applications in

Win32®, Addison-Wesley (1997).
David R. Butenhof, Programming with POSIX Threads, Addison-
Wesley (1997).
Richard H. Carver and Kuo-Chung Tai, Modern Multithreading:
Implementing, Testing, and Debugging Multithreaded Java and
C++/Pthreads/Win32 Programs, Wiley-Interscience (2006).
Rohit Chandra, Leonardo Dagum, Dave Kohr, Dror Maydan, Jeff
McDonald, and Ramesh Menon, Parallel Programming in
OpenMP, Morgan Kaufmann (2001).
Bob Kuhn, Paul Peterson, and Eamonn O’Toole, “OpenMP versus
Threading in C/C++,” Concurrency—Practice and Experience
12, 12 (2000).

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

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 Intel® Software College

Choosing the Appropriate Thread Model

24

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