MODELING METHODOLOGY FOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF PARALLEL ARCHITECTURES A CASE STUDY, LCAP
Jean-Pierre Prost, Monique Becker · International Journal of High Speed Computing · 1989
This paper presents a modeling methodology devoted to the performance evaluation of parallel architectures. The methodology is based on the decomposition of the modeling process into seven stages. In each stage specific techniques, appropriate to parallel architectures, are applied, such as aggregation methods, a thorough distinction between the architecture model and the application program model, the constitution of program classes using data analysis techniques. The methodology is then illustrated through a case study, the loosely Coupled Array of Processors (lCAP) system, designed at IBM Kingston. Use of the lCAP model allows to predict the performance of the lCAP system, in terms of response time, resource utilization, waiting times, and to investigate many alternatives with regard to the system configuration (e. g. number of system components, component interconnection scheme, component characteristics), or to the parallel program structure (e. g. parallel task granularity, load imbalance).