The MasPar scalable Unix I/O system
John R. Nickolls · 2002
Scalable parallel computers require I/O balanced with computational power to solve data-intensive problems. Distributed memory architectures call for I/O hardware and software beyond those of conventional scalar systems. This paper introduces the MasPar I/O system, designed to provide balanced and scalable data-parallel Unix I/O. The architecture and implementation of the I/O hardware and software are described. Key elements include parallel access to conventional Unix file descriptors and a self-routing multistage network coupled with a buffer memory for flexible parallel I/O transfers. Performance measurements are presented for parallel Unix I/O with a scalable RAID disk array, a RAM disk, and a HIPPI interconnect.>