ABSTRACT
The iPSC and iPSC/2® are a family of distributed memory concurrent computers. The communication subsystem, the node processor, the amount of memory per node, and the user environment have all improved significantly over the first-generation iPSC. Messages are sent from the source node to the destination node by the communication subsystem. The iPSC/2 is also designed so that all parts of the system are modular, enabling future enhancements to be incorporated easily. The System Resource Manager provides the access to a local area network through a TCP/IP Ethernet interface; it boots the cube and runs diagnostic programs; it controls access to the cube; and it hosts the compilers and other tools. In 16-node systems, the iPSC/2 is between 13 and 30 times faster than the original iPSC. The improvement in long-distance communication will allow symbolic applications to run effectively on large systems.
