Overview of the Force Scientific Parallel Language

Article type: Research Article

Authors: ALAGHBAND, GITA | JORDAN, HARRY F.

Affiliations: University of Colorado at Denver | University of Colorado at Boulder

Abstract: The Force parallel programming language designed for large-scale shared-memory multiprocessors is presented. The language provides a number of parallel constructs as extensions to the ordinary Fortran language and is implemented as a two-level macro preprocessor to support portability across shared memory multiprocessors. The global parallelism model on which the Force is based provides a powerful parallel language. The parallel constructs, generic synchronization, and freedom from process management supported by the Force has resulted in structured parallel programs that are ported to the many multiprocessors on which the Force is implemented. Two new parallel constructs for looping and functional decomposition are discussed. Several programming examples to illustrate some parallel programming approaches using the Force are also presented.

Journal: Scientific Programming, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 33-47, 1994