Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pasteur!ames!hc!lll-winken!uunet!ssbell!mcmi!denny
From: uimpwg@ssgp32 (Multi-Processor Working Group)
Newsgroups: news.announce.conferences
Subject: CFP: Unix International
Keywords: Unix,Multiprocessor,architecture,papers
Message-ID: <888@mcmi.UUCP>
Date: 26 Mar 89 04:00:19 GMT
Expires: 30 Apr 89 23:00:00 GMT
Sender: de...@mcmi.UUCP
Reply-To: uimpwg@ssgp32 (Multi-Processor Working Group)
Organization: Prime Computer, Inc.,Framingham MA -- Entry Level Systems Group
Lines: 123
Approved: denny@mcmi
[While this is a CFP, it's not exactly a conference announcement.
Comments about its distribution here? -mod]
UNIX INTERNATIONAL
Multiprocessing Working Group
BACKGROUND
UNIX International has responsibility for working with AT&T's UNIX
Software Organization (USO) to specify the functionality, high level program
interface and architectural character of the standard AT&T UNIX System V
software system that will be provided by USO to the computer industry. In
order to do so in an effective manner, UNIX International is creating a set of
Working Groups, one in each area where a major step forward in function is
needed, and where an appropriate solution embedded in the UNIX standard
would be valuable.
The procedure that will be used is as follows:
1. The working group will be composed from qualified members of UNIX
International, with some academic participation at the discretion of the
working group chairman. The chairman is appointed by the UNIX
International Steering Committee.
2. The viewpoints of any qualified organization or person, whether or not
a member of UNIX International, is solicited by the working group
through a Call for UNIX System Requirements, the first of which
accompanies this letter.
3. The working group will review those position papers, and invite some
of the submitters to discuss their viewpoints with the working group in
more depth. The working group may also invite others whose technical
input it desires.
4. The working group is then responsible (in cooperation with the USO
organization), based on the inputs received and the viewpoints of the
participants, for preparing a set of functional specifications, a high level
programming interface, together with architectural guidance, for the
UNIX International Steering Committee to deliver to AT&T. It is
anticipated that the specifications provided by the working group will
be met by subsequent AT&T UNIX systems.
THE MULTIPROCESSING WORKING GROUP
The first working group chartered by UNIX International is concerned with
the extensions to UNIX System V appropriate for support of computer
systems composed of a number of main processing elements. The working
group expects to complete its work by late summer 1989. It is chaired by
Gerald Popek, LOCUS Computing Corporation. The accompanying Call for
UNIX System Requirements describes the goals of the working group in more
detail. Requests for further information may be addressed to the UNIX
International headquarters.
MULTIPROCESSOR WORKING GROUP
Call For UNIX System Requirements
The Multiprocessor Working Group of UNIX International is charged with
specifying the functionality that is to be incorporated into subsequent
standard versions of UNIX System V to support operation by multiple
processors. These specifications will include high level programming
interface extensions as well as the appropriate architectural framework.
The goal of the committee is to provide a specification that reflects the
available perspective in the industry, both in terms of a highest quality
technical solution and one which admits a suitable and timely implementation.
In order to obtain effective industry input to influence the future of
multiprocessor UNIX, UNIX International invites members of the computing
community, both system designers and end users, with an interest and
perspective on multiprocessor system architectures to submit those points of
view to the Multiprocessor Working Group in written form. Submitters are
encouraged to address as many of the following points as appropriate to your
interests:
1. What are the appropriate criteria by which multiple processor services in
a UNIX system should be judged? One of the first tasks which the
working group will perform is to decide on its evaluation criteria.
2. What types of workload, both system and application, are enhanced by
your suggested approach? Is there any quantification of the improvement
that you can offer? Are there any inherent compatibility problems with
UNIX System V.4, either at the source or binary level, that you can identify?
3. What hardware architectural approaches are suitable? For what number
of processors and how closely coupled is the recommended approach
appropriate? What assumptions about memory access are made (e.g.
copy on write, linear virtual memory, coherent caches, etc.)? Are there
implications on the required hardware structures?
4. What general functional extensions for use of multiple processors by
applications programs are recommended? These are the classes of
services which applications software can use to take effective advantage
of multiple execution engines simultaneously.
5. Consider the high level programming interface to those extensions:
system calls, display interfaces, and supporting systems services,
including tools such as debuggers and performance analysis tools.
6. What implementation architecture approaches are appropriate to support
items four and five above?
7. Give your justifications for the recommended approaches. This
discussion should address the performance impact of the
recommendations, as well as such other considerations as
maintainability, portability across different instruction sets and memory
architectures, etc.
Papers should not be longer than approximately twenty (20) pages. They
should reference published material describing the approach. Papers should
be sent to:
UNIX International
Multiprocessor Working Group
6 Century Drive
Parsippany, New Jersey 07054
Tel: 201-263-8400 or 1-800-848-6495
Fax: 201-263-8401
Papers need to be received by May 1, 1989. The committee intends to
complete its work and deliver its specification to UNIX International's
Steering Committee by late Summer, 1989.
|