In this paper, we consider what is required to develop parallel algorithms for engineering applications on message-passing concurrent computers (multicomputers). At Caltech, the first author studied the concurrent dynamic simulation of distillation column networks [19, 21, 20, 14]. This research was accomplished with attention to portability, high performance and reusability of the underlying algorithms. Emerging from this work are several key results: first, a methodology for explicit parallelization of algorithms and for the evaluation of parallel algorithms in the distributed-memory context; second, a set of portable, reusable numerical algorithms constituting a "Multicomputer Toolbox," suitable for use on both existing and future medium-grain concurrent computers; third, a working prototype simulation system, Cdyn, for distillation problems, that can be enhanced (with additional work) to address more complex flowsheeting problems in chemical engineering; fourth, ideas for how to a...

"First-generation" scalable parallel libraries have been achieved, and are maturing, within the Multicomputer Toolbox. The Toolbox includes sparse, dense, iterative linear algebra, a stiff ODE/DAE solver, and an open software technology for additional numerical algorithms, plus an inter-architecture Makefile mechanism for building applications. We have devised C-based strategies for useful classes of distributed data structures, including distributed matrices and vectors. The underlying Zipcodemessage passing system has enabled process-grid abstractions of multicomputers, communication contexts, and process groups, all characteristics needed for building scalable libraries, and scalable application software. We describe the data-distribution-independent approach to building scalable libraries, which is needed so that applications do not unnecessarily have to redistribute data at high expense. We discuss the strategy used for implementing data-distribution mappings. We also describe hig...

The Multicomputer Toolbox is a set of "firstgeneration " scalable parallel libraries. The Toolbox includes sparse, dense, direct and iterative linear algebra, a stiff ODE/DAE solver, and an open software technology for additional numerical algorithms. The Toolbox has an object-oriented design; C-based strategies for classes of distributed data structures (including distributed matrices and vectors) as well as uniform calling interfaces are defined. At a high level in the Toolbox, data-distributionindependence (DDI) support is provided. DDI is needed to build scalable libraries, so that applications do not have to redistribute data before calling libraries. Data-distribution-independent mapping functions implement this capability. Data-distribution-independent algorithms are sometimes more efficient than fixeddata -distribution counterparts, because redistribution of data can be avoided. Underlying the system is a "performance and portability layer," which includes interfaces to sequent...