Definition
Distributed and parallel computing systems exist in many different configurations. We group them into six categories and show that the architectural characteristics of each category determines the type of application that will run most efficiently and scalability on these systems. Drawing the line between distributed and parallel systems is not easy because the definitions overlap and large systems combine aspects of both.
Discussion
Introduction
Parallel and distributed computing share many traits and distinguishing the two is not easy. Usually, a sense of larger distances is associated with distributed computing, but many topics grouped under this term are relevant for parallel computing as well. Often specific systems are considered distributed computing systems, e.g., computers working together and connected by the Internet. Instead of trying to define the two terms precisely, we will define classes of parallel computing systems, note their distinctions, and describe...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Bibliography
Anderson DP (2004) Boinc: a system for public-resource computing and storage. In: GRID ’04, Proceedings of the 5th IEEE/ACM international workshop on grid computing, IEEE computer society, Washington, DC, pp 4–10
Anderson DP, Cobb J, Korpela E, Lebofsky M, Werthimer D (2002) SETI@home: an experiment in public-resource computing. Commun ACM 45(11):56–61
Anderson TE, Culler DE, Patterson DA, and the NOW team (1995) A case for NOW (networks of workstations). IEEE Micro 15(1):54–64
Brightwell R, Ann Fisk L, Greenberg DS, Hudson T, Levenhagen M, Maccabe AB, Riesen R (2000) Massively parallel computing using commodity components. Parallel Comput 26(2–3):243–266
Foster I, Kesselman C (eds) (1999) The grid: blueprint for a new computing infrastructure. Morgan Kaufmann, San Francisco
Korpela E, Werthimer D, Anderson D, Cobb J, Leboisky M (2001) SETI@homemassively distributed computing for SETI. Comput Sci Eng 3(1):78–83
Litzkow M (1987) Remote Unix – turning idle workstations into cycle servers. In: Usenix summer conference, Phoenix, pp 381–384
Litzkow M, Livny M, Mutka M (1988) Condor – a hunter of idle workstations. In: Proceedings of the 8th international conference of distributed computing systems, San Jose
Pfister GF (1998) In search of clusters: the ongoing battle in lowly parallel computing, 2nd edn. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River
Riesen R, Brightwell R, Bridges PG, Hudson T, Maccabe AB, Widener PM, Ferreira K (2009) Designing and implementing lightweight kernels for capability computing. Concur Comput Pract Exp 21(6):793–817
Shoch JF, Hupp JA (1982) The “worm” programs – early experience with a distributed computation. Commun ACM 25(3): 172–180
Sterling T, Savarese D, Becker DJ, Dorband JE, Ranawake UA, Packer CV (1995) Beowulf: a parallel workstation for scientific computation. In: Banerjee P (ed) Proceedings of the 1995 international conference on parallel processing, Urbana-Champain pp I:11–I:14
Sterling T, Savarese D, Becker DJ, Fryxell B, Olson K (1995) Communication overhead for space science applications on the Beowulf parallel workstation. In: HPDC ’95, Proceedings of the 4th IEEE international symposium on high performance distributed computing, IEEE computer society, Washington, DC, p 23
Thain D, Tannenbaum T, Livny M (2005) Distributed computing in practice: the Condor experience. Concurr Pract Exp 17(2–4):323–356
Werthimer D, Cobb J, Lebofsky M, Anderson D, Korpela E (2001) SETI@home – massively distributed computing for SETI. Comput Sci Eng 3(1):78–83
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this entry
Cite this entry
Riesen, R., Maccabe, A.B. (2011). MIMD (Multiple Instruction, Multiple Data) Machines. In: Padua, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Parallel Computing. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09766-4_216
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09766-4_216
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-09765-7
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-09766-4
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceReference Module Computer Science and Engineering