Myrinet: A Gigabit-per-Second Local Area Network

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Myrinet: A Gigabit-per-Second Local Area Network (1995)

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by Nanette J. Boden , Danny Cohen , Robert E. Felderman , Alan E. Kulawik , Charles L. Seitz , Jakov N. Seizovic , Wen-king Su

Venue:	IEEE Micro
Citations:	1011 - 0 self

BibTeX

@ARTICLE{Boden95myrinet:a,
    author = {Nanette J. Boden and Danny Cohen and Robert E. Felderman and Alan E. Kulawik and Charles L. Seitz and Jakov N. Seizovic and Wen-king Su},
    title = {Myrinet: A Gigabit-per-Second Local Area Network},
    journal = {IEEE Micro},
    year = {1995},
    volume = {15},
    pages = {29--36}
}

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Abstract

Abstract. Myrinet is a new type of local-area network (LAN) based on the technology used for packet communication and switching within "massivelyparallel processors " (MPPs). Think of Myrinet as an MPP message-passing network that can span campus dimensions, rather than as a wide-area telecommunications network that is operating in close quarters. The technical steps toward making Myrinet a reality included the development of (1) robust, 25m communication channels with flow control, packet framing, and error control; (2) self-initializing, low-latency, cut-through switches; (3) host interfaces that can map the network, select routes, and translate from network addresses to routes, as well as handle packet traffic; and (4) streamlined host software that allows direct communication between user processes and the network. Background. In order to understand how Myrinet differs from conventional LANs such as Ethernet and FDDI, it is helpful to start with Myrinet's genealogy. Myrinet is rooted in the results of two ARPA-sponsored research projects, the Caltech Mosaic, an experimental, fine-grain multicomputer [1], and the USC Information Sciences Institute (USC/ISI) ATOMIC LAN [2, 3], which was built using Mosaic components. Myricom, Inc., is a startup company founded by members of these two research projects. Multicomputer Message-Passing Networks. A multicomputer [4, 5] is an MPP architecture consisting of a collection of computing nodes, each with its own memory, connected by a message-passing network. The Caltech Mosaic was an experiment to "push the envelope " of multicomputer design and programming toward a system with up to tens of thousands of small, single-chip nodes rather than hundreds of circuit-board-size nodes. The fine-grain multicomputer places more extreme demands on the messagepassing network due to the larger number of nodes and a greater interdependence between the computing processes on different nodes. The message-passing-network technology developed for the Mosaic [6] achieved its goals so well that it was used in several other MPP systems, including the

Keyphrases

gigabit-per-second local area network caltech mosaic local-area network network address communication channel envelope quot circuit-board-size node host software host interface research project fine-grain multicomputer extreme demand packet communication single-chip node different node flow control message-passing network mpp message-passing network mpp architecture several mpp system massivelyparallel processor conventional lan usc isi technical step startup company cut-through switch wide-area telecommunication network multicomputer message-passing network myrinet differs message-passing-network technology campus dimension direct communication close quarter error control packet framing messagepassing network new type handle packet traffic user process mosaic component fine-grain multicomputer place arpa-sponsored research project atomic lan select route multicomputer design usc information science institute

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