ALLEVIATING CHANNEL BANDWIDTH CONSTRAINTS IN MULTICOMPUTER NETWORKS

Implementation technology places bandwidth constraints on network chan nels, and these are important factors in determining how well the theo retical properties of a particular network topology can be exploited. However, not only must great care be taken in deciding which constrain t is applicable in a particular technology, but also due attention mus t be given to examining whether a given topology may, by its nature, b e able to exploit optimal partitioning and interconnection design to a lleviate the effects of that constraint. This paper surveys current th inking on these matters, and, in this context, describes the Distribut ed Crossbar Switch Hypermesh (DCSH). It then shows how the DCSH can em ploy an efficient layered implementation to reduce substantially the e ffects of conventional bandwidth limitations, from which traditional n etworks suffer, including the mesh, torus, and binary hypercube.