Parallel discrete ordinates algorithms on distributed and common memory systems
B. R. Wienke, Robert E. Hiromoto, Ralph G. Brickner · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society · 1987
The S/sub n/ algorithm employs iterative techniques in solving the linear Boltzmann equation. These methods, both ordered and chaotic, were compared on both the Denelcor HEP and the Intel hypercube. Strategies are linked to the organization and accessibility of memory (common memory versus distributed memory architectures), with common concern for acquisition of global information. Apart from this, the inherent parallelism of the algorithm maps directly onto the two architectures. Results comparing execution times, speedup, and efficiency are based on a representative 16-group (full upscatter and downscatter) sample problem. Calculations were performed on both the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Denelcor HEP and the LANL Intel hypercube. The Denelcor HEP is a 64-bit multi-instruction, multidate MIMD machine consisting of up to 16 process execution modules (PEMs), each capable of executing 64 processes concurrently. Each PEM can cooperate on a job, or run several unrelated jobs, and share a common global memory through a crossbar switch. The Intel hypercube, on the other hand, is a distributed memory system composed of 128 processing elements, each with its own local memory. Processing elements are connected in a nearest-neighbor hypercube configuration and sharing of data among processors requires execution of explicit message-passing constructs.