Data streaming: very low overhead communication for fine-grained multicomputing

Recent developments have greatly reduced network latencies in multiprocessor networks. Thus, software overhead is becoming the primary cost of multiprocessor communication. This paper proposes data streaming-a technique which places explicit send and receive instructions in the user code-as a means to cut software overhead to a minimum. Data streaming has the added benefit that it can tighten the coupling between processors by reducing the message size to that of a single data item. This paper presents experimental results that indicate data streaming can cut software overhead to less than one instruction per byte of data transmitted.