TreadMarks

Treadmarks supports parallel computing on networks of workstations. Its main novel feature is that it provides a global shared address space across the different machines on a cluster. The shared address space distinguishes it from other well-known packages such as PVM that provide a message passing interface between machines. There is growing consensus in the parallel computing community that a shared memory interface is more desirable from the application programmer's viewpoint, allowing him or her to focus on algorithmic development rather than on managing communication. The challenge in providing a shared memory interface is to do so efficiently. To this end, TreadMarks incorporates several innovative features, including release consistency and multiple-writer protocols.

Current research going on in the TreadMarks project includes the integration of compiler and runtime techniques, the use of high-level synchronization operators, and the use of multithreading, in particular on multiprocessor nodes. TreadMarks runs on IBM, DEC, and SUN hardware, and a port to HP is underway. C and C++ are supported, with Fortran being added in the near future. TreadMarks was developed with support from the Texas Advanced Technology Program (TATP). It is being distributed at a small cost to universities and nonprofit institutions.

For more information about the software,
contact Mandy Nevin, treadmarks@ece.rice.edu
(713) 527-4735, FAX (713) 524-5237

TreadMarks Papers

  • ``Lazy Release Consistency for Software Distributed Shared Memory'', P. Keleher, A.L. Cox, and W. Zwaenepoel, Proceedings of the Nineteenth Symposium on Computer Architecture, pp. 13-21, May 1992.

  • ``An Evaluation of Software Distributed Shared Memory for Next- Generation Processors and Networks'', S. Dwarkadas, P. Keleher, A.L. Cox, and W. Zwaenepoel, Proceedings of the Twentieth Symposium on Computer Architecture, pp. 144-155, May 1993.

  • ``TreadMarks: Distributed Shared Memory on Standard Workstations and Operating Systems'', P. Keleher, S. Dwarkadas, A.L. Cox, and W. Zwaenepoel, Proceedings of the Winter 94 Usenix Conference, pp. 115-131, January 1994.

  • ``Software vs. Hardware Shared Memory Implementation: A Case Study'' A.L. Cox, S. Dwarkadas, P. Keleher, H. Lu, R. Rajamony, W. Zwaenepoel, Proceedings of the Twentyfirst Symposium on Computer Architecture, pp. 106-117, April 1994.

  • ``Parallelization of General Linkage Analysis Problems'', S. Dwarkadas, A. Schaffer, R.W. Cottingham, A.L. Cox, P. Keleher, and W. Zwaenepoel, Human Heredity, Vol. 44, pp. 127-141, July 1994.

  • ``Lazy Release Consistency for Distributed Shared Memory'', P. Keleher, Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Computer Science, Rice University, December 1994.

  • ``An Integrated Approach to Distributed Shared Memory'', A.L. Cox, S. Dwarkadas, P. Keleher, and W. Zwaenepoel, First International Workshop on Parallel Processing, December 1994.

  • ``TreadMarks: Shared Memory Computing on Networks of Workstations'', C. Amza, A.L. Cox, S. Dwarkadas, P. Keleher, H. Lu, R. Rajamony, W. Yu, and W. Zwaenepoel, submitted for publication.

  • TreadMarks Documentation.

  • ``Message Passing Versus Distributed Shared Memory on Networks of Workstations'', Honghui Lu, Master's Thesis, Department of Computer Science, Rice University, May 1995.

  • ``An Evaluation of Software-Based Release Consistent Protocols'', P. Keleher, A.L. Cox, S. Dwarkadas, and W. Zwaenepoel, to appear in Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing, Special Issue on Distributed Shared Memory.