The CM-5 Connection Machine: a scalable supercomputer

The CM-5 Connection Machine is a scalable homogeneous multiprocessor designed for large-scale scientific and business applications. In this article we describe its architecture and implementation from the standpoint of the programmer or user of parallel machines. In particular, we emphasize three features of the Connection Machine architecture: scalability, distributed memory/global addressing, and distributed execution/global synchronization. We believe that architectures of this type will replace most other forms of supercomputing in the foreseeable future. Examples of the current applications of the machine are included, focusing particularly on the machine's ability to support a variety of programming models

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