Developing technologies for broad-network concurrent computing

Recent developments in networking infrastructures, computer workstation cap abilities, software tools, and programming languages have motivated new app roaches to broad-network concurrent computing. This paper describes extensi ons to concurrent computing which blend new and evolving technologies to ex tend users' access to resources beyond their local network. The result is a concurrent programming environment which can dynamically extend over netwo rk and file system boundaries to envelope additional resources, to enable m ultiple-user collaborative programming, and to achieve a more optimal proce ss mapping. Additional aspects of the derivative environment feature extend ed portability and support for the accessing of legacy codes and packages. This paper describes the advantages of such a design and how they have been implemented in the environment termed "IceT". (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.