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Ovni-net : a flexible cluster interconnect for the new OVNI Real-time simulator De Rybel, Tom
Abstract
The original OVNI Real-time simulator employs one of the lowest latency network solutions available today. However, with the advent of the MATE solution scheme, a new, more flexible interconnect solution became necessary. Also, the current system is limited in bandwidth and tied into the IDE hard-disk interface. This technology is soon to disappear, in favor of serial ATA. The new system presented circumvents any of the normal PC standard ports and is build directly on top of the industry-standard PCI bus. Also, the parallel connections between the nodes are replaced by high-speed full-duplex serial links, allowing for a system of larger physical size with a more manageable wiring solution. These enhancements yield in an even lower latency while significantly boosting the throughput. It also allows the hardware to be used on non-PC platforms such as Sun, Apple, HP, and IBM workstations. A major change to accommodate the flexibility of MATE was the incorporation of an intelligent shared-memory hub, avoiding many of the latency issues introduced by switched packet network solutions. To further boost the performance, no microprocessors were used in the network system. Instead, the required intelligence was distributed throughout the system and implemented locally in logic. This allows for a highly parallel operation of the interconnect with an absolute minimum of overhead. The integration of the new interconnect system and the MATE solution scheme is now so tight that the network system itself became part of the solution algorithm. However, due to the highly modular design approach, and the extensive use of FPGA technology, the system can be modified at will. Very different solution schemes and enhancements such as hardware error control, digital and analog I/O, and other features can be implemented without electrical modifications, allowing the same physical hardware to be used in both a research and a production environment. The result is a economic, obsolescence proof, flexible, high-speed low-latency cluster interconnect system build around industry-standard components.
Item Metadata
Title |
Ovni-net : a flexible cluster interconnect for the new OVNI Real-time simulator
|
Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
|
Date Issued |
2005
|
Description |
The original OVNI Real-time simulator employs one of the lowest latency network solutions available
today. However, with the advent of the MATE solution scheme, a new, more flexible interconnect
solution became necessary. Also, the current system is limited in bandwidth and tied into the IDE
hard-disk interface. This technology is soon to disappear, in favor of serial ATA.
The new system presented circumvents any of the normal PC standard ports and is build directly
on top of the industry-standard PCI bus. Also, the parallel connections between the nodes are
replaced by high-speed full-duplex serial links, allowing for a system of larger physical size with
a more manageable wiring solution. These enhancements yield in an even lower latency while
significantly boosting the throughput. It also allows the hardware to be used on non-PC platforms
such as Sun, Apple, HP, and IBM workstations.
A major change to accommodate the flexibility of MATE was the incorporation of an intelligent
shared-memory hub, avoiding many of the latency issues introduced by switched packet network
solutions. To further boost the performance, no microprocessors were used in the network system.
Instead, the required intelligence was distributed throughout the system and implemented locally
in logic. This allows for a highly parallel operation of the interconnect with an absolute minimum
of overhead.
The integration of the new interconnect system and the MATE solution scheme is now so tight
that the network system itself became part of the solution algorithm. However, due to the highly
modular design approach, and the extensive use of FPGA technology, the system can be modified
at will. Very different solution schemes and enhancements such as hardware error control, digital
and analog I/O, and other features can be implemented without electrical modifications, allowing
the same physical hardware to be used in both a research and a production environment. The result
is a economic, obsolescence proof, flexible, high-speed low-latency cluster interconnect system build
around industry-standard components.
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Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-12-11
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
|
DOI |
10.14288/1.0065859
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2005-05
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.