The MuNet: A scalable decentralized architecture for parallel computation

The MuNet is a multiprocessor architecture which can be program-transparently scaled over a very wide cost-performance spectrum. Each processor in a MuNet communicates directly only with a limited number ofneighbors..There is no shared memory, central broadcast medium, or other hardware resource shared equally by all processors In the system. This strictly local communication and interconnection strategy means that only a constant amount of additional hardware need be added for each new processor incorporated into the system. MuNet architectures are significant because of their potential for scalability and large capacity, their way of forging a collection of processors into a coherent programming system, and their ability to support a wide range of object management functions on a distributed system without recourse to any central controlling mechanism. The paper gives an overview of the main structural features of the MuNet, along with a status report on the MuNet project.