A trip-based multicasting model in wormhole-routed networks with virtual channels

This paper focuses on efficient multicasting in wormhole-routed networks. A trip-based model is proposed to support adaptive, distributed, and deadlock-free multiple multicast on any network with arbitrary topology using at most two virtual channels per physical channel. This model significantly generalizes the path-based model proposed earlier which works only for Hamiltonian networks and cannot be applicable to networks with arbitrary topology resulted due to system faults. Fundamentals of the trip-based model, including the necessary and sufficient condition to be deadlock-free, and the use of appropriate number of virtual channels to avoid deadlock are investigated. The potential of this model is illustrated by applying it to hypercubes with faulty nodes. Simulation results indicate that the proposed model can implement multiple multicast on faulty hypercubes with negligible performance degradation.