MIMD Dictionary Machines: From Theory to Practice

We describe the implementation of a dictionary structure on a distributed memory parallel computer. The dictionary is an important data structure used in applications such as sorting and searching, symbol-table and index-table implementations. Theoretical as well as practical aspects of the development of the application are discussed. Our target machine was a Volvox IS860 with 8 nodes, each composed of one Transputer T800 from INMOS plus an Intel i860. Extensive testing was carried out and the results reported. We also address problems and solutions connected to the programming environment of such a machine.