Exploring IBA design space for improved performance

Eun Jung Kim, Ki Hwan Yum, Chita R. Das, Mazin Yousif, José Duato

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

InfiniBand Architecture (IBA) is envisioned to be the default communication fabric for future system area networks (SANs) or clusters. However, IBA design is currently in its infancy since the released specification outlines only higher level functionalities, leaving it open for exploring various design alternatives. In this paper, we investigate four corelated techniques for providing high and predictable performance in IBA. These are: 1) using the Shortest Path First (SPF) algorithm for deterministic packet routing, 2) developing a multipath routing mechanism for minimizing congestion, 3) developing a selective packet dropping scheme to handle deadlock and congestion, and 4) providing multicasting support for customized applications. These designs are implemented in a pipelined, IBA-style switch architecture, and are evaluated using an integrated workload consisting of MPEG-2 video streams, best-effort traffic, and control traffic on a versatile IBA simulation testbed. Simulation results with 15-node and 30-node irregular networks indicate that the SPF routing, multipath routing, packet dropping, and multicasting schemes are quite effective in delivering high and assured performance in clusters.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)498-510
Number of pages13
JournalIEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems
Volume18
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2007

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Signal Processing
  • Hardware and Architecture
  • Computational Theory and Mathematics

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