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Data-Cyclic Shared Memory (DCSM) in Distributed Environments

Hiroyuki YAMASHITA

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Summary :

With advances in the speed, bandwidth and reliability of telecommunications networks and in the performance of workstations, distributed processing has become widespread. Information sharing among distributed nodes and its mutual exclusion are of great importance for efficient distributed processing. This paper systematizes and quantitizes a shared memory called Data-Cyclic Shared Memory (DCSM) from the viewpoints of memory organization and access mode. In DCSM, the propagation delay of transmission lines and the data relaying delay in each node are used for information storage, and memory information encapsuled in the form of "memory cells" circulates infinitely in a logical ring type network. The distinctive feature of DCSM, in addition to the way data is stored, is that data and the access control are completely distributed, which contrasts with existing memory where both are centralized. Therefore, there are no performance bottlenecks caused by concentrating memory access. Distributed Shared Memory (DSM), which has a scheme similar to DCSM's, has also been proposed for distributed environments. In DSM, the data is also distributed but the control for accessing each data is centralized. From the viewpoints of memory organization and the access method, DCSM is very flexible. For instance, word length can be spatially varied by defining data size at each address, and each node can be equipped with mechanisms for special functions such as the content address specification and asynchronous report of change in contents. Because of this flexibility, it can be called a "software-defined memory." The analysis also reveals that DCSM has the disadvantages of large access delay and small memory capacity. The capacity can be enlarged by inserting FIFO type queues into the circulation network, and the delay can be shortened by circulating replicas of original memory cells. However, there is a trade off between the maximal capacity and the mean access time. DCSM has many potential applications, such as in the mutual exclusion control of distributed resources.

Publication
IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications Vol.E77-B No.11 pp.1372-1379
Publication Date
1994/11/25
Publicized
Online ISSN
DOI
Type of Manuscript
Special Section PAPER (Special Issue on Distributed Architecture for Next Generation Communication Networks)
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