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  Mether-NFS: A Modified NFS Which Supports Virtual Shared Memory (1993) [15 citations — 5 self]

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by Ronald G. Minnich
In Proc. Distributed & Multiprocessor Systems (SEDMS IV), USENIX Association,Berkeley, CA 94710
http://www.acl.lanl.gov/~rminnich/mether/mnfs.ps
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Abstract:

Mether-NFS (MNFS) is a modified NFS which supports virtual shared memory. The model it supports is based on the Mether model[8]. It is compatible in most ways with standard NFS. The major difference is in the way mapped files are handled. Mapped files, rather than adhering to standard NFS memory consistency semantics instead obey rules such that writes are globally ordered. This allows MNFS to be used to support shared memory programs. MNFS has been used on a 16-node SPARCStation ELC cluster to support shared memory programs. On appropriate applications we have realized supercomputer-level performance, which given the modest cost of the cluster implies a correspondingly higher price-performance. MNFS performance is superior to NFS performance in every case, but particularly in the case of write performance. Writes in MNFS are at least twice as fast as NFS. MNFS provides an extended memory operator, called Conditional Fetch-and-op (CFOP). CFOP is used to support memory synchronization. Programs using CFOP can atomically test and set a variable in 1.3 milliseconds. Our target performance goal for CFOP is 500 microseconds. In order to achieve this performance we have had to highly optimize the path through the SunOS kernel on both the client and server sides. 1

Citations

223 Shared Virtual Memory on Loosely Coupled Multiprocessors – Li - 1986
104 The V Kemel: A Software Base for Distributed Systems – Cheriton - 1984
37 Reducing Host Load, Network Load, and Latency in a Distributed Shared Memory – Minnich, Farber - 1990
25 The Architecture and Implementation of Memnet: A High-Speed Shared Memory Computer Communication Network, doctoral dissertation – Delp - 1988
12 Mether: A Memory System for Network Multiprocessors – Minnich - 1991
8 Vector and parallel Monte Carlo radiative heat transfer – Pryor - 1989
7 Instrumentation for a Massively Parallel MIMD Application – Glenn, Pryor - 1991
3 Talk given at SRC – Yackos - 1991