Interconnection Networks (Computer Architecture and Design) : 9781558608528

Interconnection networks are becoming increasingly pervasive in many different applications,
with the operational costs and characteristics of these networks depending considerably
on the application. For some applications, interconnection networks have been
studied in depth for decades. This is the case for telephone networks, computer networks
(telecommunications), and backplane buses. The design and operation of these networks
are covered in many excellent books. However, in the last 15 years we have seen a rapid
evolution of the interconnection network technology that is currently being infused into
a new generation of multiprocessor systems. The technology is mature enough to find its
way into commercial products, while constantly presenting new avenues for growth and
application. This is the case for the interconnection networks used in multicomputers and
distributed shared-memory multiprocessors. At the current time, the basic design issues
governing this new generation of multiprocessor network technology are diffused over a
large number of technical papers. This book is an attempt to present a coherent description
of this technology in a form that emphasizes the engineering aspects of their construction
and use.

The lack of standards and the need for very high performance and reliability have
been primarily responsible for pushing the development of interconnection networks for
multicomputers. This technology was transferred to distributed shared-memory multiprocessors.
More recently, this network technology began to be transferred to local area networks
(LANs). Also, it has been proposed as a replacement for backplane buses, creating
the concept of a system area network (SAN). Hence, the advances in interconnection networks
for multicomputers are becoming the basis for the development of interconnection
networks for other architectures and environments. Therefore, there is a need for formally
stating the basic concepts, the alternative design choices, and the design tradeoffs for
most of those networks. In this book, we address this challenge and present in a structured
way the basic underlying concepts of most interconnection networks, and representative
solutions that have currently been implemented or proposed in the literature.