ATM interconnection-a solution for cost sensitive parallel computing

Cost sensitive applications for parallel computing require system designs using commodity hardware. Off-the-shelf processing nodes have already been implemented in parallel systems. This article proposes the use of ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) for interconnection networks. Because ATM was not designed as communication technology for parallel systems, some adaptation has to be done in order to meet the special requirements of parallel systems. This paper discusses advantages and drawbacks of this approach and shows solutions to adapt the ATM technology for usage in this special environment while preserving some unique features of ATM.