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Parallel Programming: Overview, Importance & Applications

Dive into the world of parallel programming, exploring its significance, history, and challenging applications. Discover the need for parallel processing, from multiple processors to grid computing. Course content covers algorithms, languages, and practical implementations. Enroll now to unlock the power of running programs in parallel!

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Parallel Programming: Overview, Importance & Applications

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  1. Parallel Programming Henri Bal (bal@cs.vu.nl) Vrije Universiteit Faculty of Sciences Amsterdam

  2. Overview • What is parallel programming? • Why do we need parallel programming? • Organization of this course • Practicum Parallel Programming

  3. ICWall • A large display suitable for: • Education (classroom) • Modern scientific applications thatneed to visualize large data-sets • 3D applications

  4. ICWall: an "off-the-shelf" video wall • High-end graphics is very expensive • Use tiled display with many projectors • Use standard (inexpensive) components • 9 PCs, graphic and network cards, 16 projectors • Similar idea as cluster computing, but applied to graphics • Current ICWall is strongly simplified version • 1 PC with 2 projectors

  5. Parallel Programming • Sequential programming Single thread of control • Parallel programming Multiple threads of control • Why parallel programming? Eases programming? Not really. Performance? Yes!

  6. Famous quote • “Parallel programming may do something to revive the pioneering spirit in programming,which seems to be degenerating intoa rather dull and routine occupation’’ • S. Gill, Computer Journal, 1958

  7. Why do we need parallel processing? • Many applications need much faster machines • Sequential machines are reaching their speed limits • Use multiple processors to solve large problems fast • Microprocessors are getting cheaper and cheaper • Cheap multiprocessors and multicore CPUsbring parallel processing to the desktop!

  8. History • 1950s: first ideas (see Gill’s quote) • 1967 first parallel computer (ILLIAC IV) • 1970s programming methods, experimental machines • 1980s: parallel languages (SR, Linda, Orca), commercial supercomputers • 1990s: software standardization (MPI), clusters, large-scale machines (Blue Gene) • 2000s: grid computing: combining resources world-wide (Globus)

  9. Large-scale parallel machines • Many parallel machines exist • See http://www.top500.org • Current #1 is IBM BlueGene/L with 131072 CPUs 131072 131072

  10. Challenging Applications • Modeling ozone layer, climate, ocean • Quantum chemistry • Protein folding • General: computational science • Aircraft modeling • Handling use volumes of data from scientific instruments • Lofar (astronomy) • LHC (CERN, high-energy physics) • Computer chess • Analyzing multimedia content • Generating movies

  11. About this Course Goal: Study how to write programs that run in parallel on a large number of machines. Focus on programming methods, languages, applications Prerequisites: Some knowledge about sequential languages Little knowledge about networking and operating systems

  12. Aspects of Parallel Computing Algorithms and applications Programming methods, languages, and environments Parallel machines and architectures

  13. Course Outline • Introduction in algorithms and applications • Parallel machines and architectures Overview of parallel machines, trends in top-500 Cluster computers, BlueGene • Programming methods, languages, and environments Message passing (SR, MPI, Java) Higher-level language: HPF • Applications N-body problems, search algorithms, bioinformatics • Grid computing Multimedia content analysis on Grids (guest lecture Frank Seinstra)

  14. Course Information Examination Written exam based on: - Reader: available electronically from Blackboard - Lectures More information (and slides): http://www.cs.vu.nl/~bal/college07.html

  15. Practicum Parallel Programming Separate practicum (6 ECTS) • Implement ASP + SOR algorithms in C/MPI • Implement IDA* search algorithm in Java/RMI • Test and measure the programs on our DAS cluster

  16. More information Register by email to ndrost@cs.vu.nl (Niels Drost) now Starts after MPI lecture (mid October) See http://www.cs.vu.nl/pp-cursus/ for a complete description

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