Performance modeling and evaluation of MPI

Users of parallel machines need to have a good grasp for how different comm unication patterns and styles affect the performance of message-passing app lications. LogGP is a simple performance model that reflects the most impor tant parameters required to estimate the communication performance of paral lel computers. The message passing interface (MPI) standard provides new op portunities for developing high performance parallel and distributed applic ations. In this paper, we use LogGP as a conceptual framework for evaluatin g the performance of MPI communications on three platforms: Gray-Research T 3D, Convex Exemplar 1600SP, and a network of workstations (NOW). We develop a simple set of communication benchmarks to extract the LogGP parameters. Our objective in this is to compare the performance of MPI communication on several platforms and to identify a performance model suitable for MPI per formance characterization. In particular, two problems are addressed: how L ogGP quantifies MPI performance and what extra features are required for mo deling MPI, and how MPI performance compare on the three computing platform s: Gray Research T3D, Convex Exemplar 1600SP, and workstations clusters. (C ) 2001 Academic Press.