@InProceedings{WalterKerridge91, title = "{A} {S}calable {C}ommunication {N}etwork for a {P}arallel {D}atabase {M}achine", author= "Walter, David and Kerridge, Jon", editor= "Edwards, Janet", pages = "201--216", booktitle= "{P}roceedings of {W}o{TUG}-14: {O}ccam and the {T}ransputer-{C}urrent {D}evelopments", isbn= "90 5199 063 4", year= "1991", month= "sep", abstract= "The IDIOMS parallel database machine has at its kernel a scalable communications structure. The scalability is fundamental to the database machine because it is intended that the parts which are joined together by the communications network can be added to as demands on the database machine change. The network must be scalable both in terms og the number of user processes which can be supported, and, in order to meet the performance requirements of large systems, it should be possible to scale up the bandwidth of the network by adding further communication processors. The structure of a node in the network is described in terms of itsccam behavior which shows how node control is achieved by a control process that manipulates a set of flags by means of channel communications. The network is shown to be free from the possibility of deadlock. Finally, the performance and operational characteristics of the network are discussed and it is shown that the network is ideally suited for parallel database operation." }