On the performance merits of bypass channels in hypermeshes and k-ary n-cubes

S. Loucif*, M. Ould-Khaoua, L. M. Mackenzie

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Low-dimensional k-ary n-cubes have been popular in recent multicomputers. These networks, however, suffer from high switching delays due to their high message distance. To overcome this problem, Dally has proposed a variation, called express k-ary n-cubes, with express channels that allow non-local messages to partially bypass clusters of nodes within a dimension. K-ary n-cubes are graph topologies where a channel connects exactly two nodes. This study argues that hypergraph topologies, where a channel connects any number of nodes, thus providing total bypasses within a dimension, represent potential candidates for future high-performance networks. It presents a comparative analysis, of a regular hypergraph, referred to as the distributed crossbar switch hypermesh (DCSH), and the express k-ary n-cube. The analysis considers channel bandwidth constraints which apply in different implementation technologies. The results conclude that the DCSH's total bypass strategy yields superior performance characteristics to the partial bypassing of its express cube counterpart.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)62-72
Number of pages11
JournalComputer Journal
Volume42
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1999
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Computer Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'On the performance merits of bypass channels in hypermeshes and k-ary n-cubes'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this