Live Webcast 15th Annual Charm++ Workshop

Software re-use via libraries is a strategy that allows the cost of software to be amortized. A parallel programming system must support the ability to develop modules that can be "fitted together" in a variety of contexts. Although it is important to be able to reuse parallel libraries, it is also more difficult to use parallel modules in comparison to sequential module. We present a methodology for developing libraries that addresses these issues effectively. The methodology, which is embodied in the Charm system, employs message-driven execution (in contrast to traditional, receive based message passing), information sharing abstractions, the notion of branched objects, and explicit support for modules.