A rationale for programming with Ease

Abstract

It is reasoned that for a broad range of parallel programming applications Ease is a more efficient model than either message passing or Linda, since it elegantly encapsulates the expression of shared data exchanges by reference.

Efficiency remains — regardless of a parallel machine's memory subsystem architecture. Subverting the copy overhead compelled by message passing implementations and obviating any need for the run time matching required by Linda. Thus providing for greater portability of parallel programs.

Other features of the model, in particular those which enable the simple construction of resources, enable the construction of large multifaceted programs to be considered. Ease maintains the simple elegance of a shared data space with a few simple interaction primitives in a manner that is readily accessible to the broad range of existing applications programmers.

Implementations of the language and model are at advanced stages of development, and several other implementation projects have already begun at other centers around the world.

Funding for this work was provided in part by the Association pour la Recherche et le Développement des Méthodes et processus Industriels (ARMINES). This paper derives from a thesis in preparation and remains copyright of the author.

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