Interconnection Networks for High-Performance Parallel Computer [Book Reviews]

All three books are collections of articles on related subjects that were previously published, mostly in IEEE Computer Society publications. They appear in an unnamedalbeit known for about a decade and highly rated-series of IEEE tutorials. The books have very similar contents; therefore, their joint review seems appropriate. Interconnection Networksfor Multiprocessors and Multicomputers has 10 chapters and over 50 articles, including chapter introductions. The first chapter, written by the editors, introduces the entire book and gives a proper perspective on its contents. Four subsequent chapters discuss interconnections from the point of view of their topologies. In particular, there are articles on Clos and Benes networks, multistage networks, buses, and crossbars. Although it is hard to distinguish among the articles in this collection and point to the one of particular value, I must confess that I read with great pleasure Leiserson’s 10-yearold article on fat trees. Although the chapters just mentioned discuss individual properties of various topologies, the next three chapters specifically address general properties of interconnection networks. These properties include routing (to provide required functionality), reliability, and performance. I took a closer look at the chapter on “Fault-tolerance and Reliability.” As the editors point out, an interconnecoon network‘s ability to avoid failures’is usually measured as its reliability or availability. A network achieves high reliability or availability normally through some form of fault tolerance. Thus, fault tolerance, in the form of various kinds of redundancy (in space or time), is the major subject of all the articles ii chapter, which provide a reasonably com coverage of the most important issues. I have mixed feelings about the las chapters of the book: one on algorithm applications, and one that includes case ies. The first attempts to cover sut related to designing applications and rithms for parallel machines. This ai broad enough to take at least another volume (such as Introduction to Parallel rzthms and Architectures, by F.T. Leigl Morgan Kaufmann, 1992), so providing approximate coverage in one chapter 1 definition, impossible. However, the ch presenting case studies is reasonably plete and includes articles on several res1 machines, as well as on those once com cially available. In summary, this book is a good vol providing a wealth of valuable informatic theoretical aspects of interconnecting n ple processors. I commend the editor writing comprehensive introductions I chapters, a custom less and less commc this series of IEEE tutorials. On the nee side, the book doesn’t even mention ce important topics such as cache coherencl newer solutions such as ATM, but such r rial is probably suited for other volumes no one can cover everything importani single book like this. The second book, Interconnectaon Nefi fir High-Pe$omzance Parallel Computers, i! prisingly similar, not only by title but alf contents. It contains about 70 papers di7 into 11 chapters. Areas covered are rol the same, but with different emphasis. It i