Run-time support For parallel functional programming on shared-memory multiprocessors
Abstract The use of functional languages for parallel computing has been proposed for many years. Many functional languages were developed along with the design of new architectures such as data flow and reduction machines. In this article, we present a general model of a run-time system for a parallel functional language called SISAL, to be executed on shared-memory multiprocessors. The implementation of this run-time system is examined on two radically different architectures: a 32-way (symmetrical) VAX Research Multiprocessor M31 and a 4-way Cray X-MP system. To properly evaluate the effectiveness of SISAL on shared-memory multiprocessors, we suggest further research explore an interactive visual control mechanism that dynamically shows run-time behavior.