ScaLAPACK: A portable linear algebra library for distributed memory computers - Design issues and performance

J. Choi, J. Demmel, I. Dhillon, J. Dongarra, S. Ostrouchov, A. Petitet, K. Stanley, D. Walker, R. C. Whaley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

123 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper outlines the content and performance of ScaLAPACK, a collection of mathematical software for linear algebra computations on distributed memory computers. The importance of developing standards for computational and message passing interfaces is discussed. We present the different components and building blocks of ScaLAPACK. This paper outlines the difficulties inherent in producing correct codes for networks of heterogeneous processors. We define a theoretical model of parallel computers dedicated to linear algebra applications: the Distributed Linear Algebra Machine (DLAM). This model provides a convenient framework for developing parallel algorithms and investigating their scalability, performance and programmability. Extensive performance results on various platforms are presented and analyzed with the help of the DLAM. Finally, this paper briefly describes future directions for the ScaLAPACK library and concludes by suggesting alternative approaches to mathematical libraries, explaining how ScaLAPACK could be integrated into efficient and user-friendly distributed systems.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-15
Number of pages15
JournalComputer Physics Communications
Volume97
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2 1996

Funding

This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation Grant No. ASC-9005933; by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under contract DAAL03-91-C-0047, administered by the Army Research Office; by the Office of Scientific Computing, U.S. Department of Energy, under Contract DE-AC05-84OR21400; and by the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center Cooperative Agreement No. CCR-8809615.

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