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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Configuration space representation in parallel coordinates

By means of a system of parallel coordinates, a nonprojective mapping from R exp N to R squared is obtained for any positive integer N. In this way multivariate data and relations can be represented in the Euclidean plane (embedded in the projective plane). Basically, R squared with Cartesian coordinates is augmented by N parallel axes, one for each variable. The N joint variables of a robotic device can be represented graphically by using parallel coordinates. It is pointed out that some properties of the relation are better perceived visually from the parallel coordinate representation, and that new algorithms and data structures can be obtained from this representation. The main features of parallel coordinates are described, and an example is presented of their use for configuration space representation of a mechanical arm (where Cartesian coordinates cannot be used).

Fiorini, Paolo↗
NASA NTRS1986

Queueing Network Models for Parallel Processing of Task Systems: an Operational Approach

Computer performance modeling of possibly complex computations running on highly concurrent systems is considered. Earlier works in this area either dealt with a very simple program structure or resulted in methods with exponential complexity. An efficient procedure is developed to compute the performance measures for series-parallel-reducible task systems using queueing network models. The procedure is based on the concept of hierarchical decomposition and a new operational approach. Numerical results for three test cases are presented and compared to those of simulations.

Mak, Victor W. K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Characterizing parallel file-access patterns on a large-scale multiprocessor

Rapid increases in the computational speeds of multiprocessors have not been matched by corresponding performance enhancements in the I/O subsystem. To satisfy the large and growing I/O requirements of some parallel scientific applications, we need parallel file systems that can provide high-bandwidth and high-volume data transfer between the I/O subsystem and thousands of processors. Design of such high-performance parallel file systems depends on a thorough grasp of the expected workload. So far there have been no comprehensive usage studies of multiprocessor file systems. Our CHARISMA project intends to fill this void. The first results from our study involve an iPSC/860 at NASA Ames. This paper presents results from a different platform, the CM-5 at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. The CHARISMA studies are unique because we collect information about every individual read and write request and about the entire mix of applications running on the machines. The results of our trace analysis lead to recommendations for parallel file system design. First the file system should support efficient concurrent access to many files, and I/O requests from many jobs under varying load conditions. Second, it must efficiently manage large files kept open for long periods. Third, it should expect to see small requests predominantly sequential access patterns, application-wide synchronous access, no concurrent file-sharing between jobs appreciable byte and block sharing between processes within jobs, and strong interprocess locality. Finally, the trace data suggest that node-level write caches and collective I/O request interfaces may be useful in certain environments.

Purakayastha, Apratim↗
NASA NTRS2004

An Expert System for the Development of Efficient Parallel Code

We have built the prototype of an expert system to assist the user in the development of efficient parallel code. The system was integrated into the parallel programming environment that is currently being developed at NASA Ames. The expert system interfaces to tools for automatic parallelization and performance analysis. It uses static program structure information and performance data in order to automatically determine causes of poor performance and to make suggestions for improvements. In this paper we give an overview of our programming environment, describe the prototype implementation of our expert system, and demonstrate its usefulness with several case studies.

Jost, Gabriele↗
NASA NTRS1987

Application of parallel distributed processing to space based systems

The concept of using Parallel Distributed Processing (PDP) to enhance automated experiment monitoring and control is explored. Recent very large scale integration (VLSI) advances have made such applications an achievable goal. The PDP machine has demonstrated the ability to automatically organize stored information, handle unfamiliar and contradictory input data and perform the actions necessary. The PDP machine has demonstrated that it can perform inference and knowledge operations with greater speed and flexibility and at lower cost than traditional architectures. In applications where the rule set governing an expert system's decisions is difficult to formulate, PDP can be used to extract rules by associating the information an expert receives with the actions taken.

Macdonald, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Reliability models for dataflow computer systems

The demands for concurrent operation within a computer system and the representation of parallelism in programming languages have yielded a new form of program representation known as data flow (DENN 74, DENN 75, TREL 82a). A new model based on data flow principles for parallel computations and parallel computer systems is presented. Necessary conditions for liveness and deadlock freeness in data flow graphs are derived. The data flow graph is used as a model to represent asynchronous concurrent computer architectures including data flow computers.

Kavi, K. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A formal definition of data flow graph models

In this paper, a new model for parallel computations and parallel computer systems that is based on data flow principles is presented. Uninterpreted data flow graphs can be used to model computer systems including data driven and parallel processors. A data flow graph is defined to be a bipartite graph with actors and links as the two vertex classes. Actors can be considered similar to transitions in Petri nets, and links similar to places. The nondeterministic nature of uninterpreted data flow graphs necessitates the derivation of liveness conditions.

Kavi, Krishna M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Biological Information Signal Processor

Biological Information Signal Processor (BISP) is computing system analyzing data on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences for molecular genetic analysis. Includes coprocessors, specialized microprocessors complementing present and future computers by performing rapidly most-time-consuming DNA-sequence-analyzing functions, establishing relationships (alignments) between both global sequences and defining patterns in multiple sequences. Also includes state-of-art software and data-base systems on both conventional and parallel computer systems to augment analytical abilities of developmental coprocessors.

Chow, Edward T.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Comparison of Simulated Contrast Performance of Different Phase Induced Amplitude Apodization (PIAA) Coronagraph Configurations

We compare the broadband contrast performances of several Phase Induced Amplitude Apodization (PIAA) coronagraph configurations through modeling and simulations. The basic optical design of the PIAA coronagraph is the same as NASA's High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) setup at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Using a deformable mirror and a broadband wavefront sensing and control algorithm, we create a "dark hole" in the broadband point-spread function (PSF) with an inner working angle (IWA) of 2(f lambda/D)(sub sky). We evaluate two systems in parallel. One is a perfect system having a design PIAA output amplitude and not having any wavefront error at its exit-pupil. The other is a realistic system having a design PIAA output amplitude and the measured residual wavefront error. We also investigate the effect of Lyot stops of various sizes when a postapodizer is and is not present. Our simulations show that the best 7.5%-broadband contrast value achievable with the current PIAA coronagraph is approximately 1.5x10(exp -8).

adaptive optics↗
NASA NTRS1997

Pilot Non-Conformance to Alerting System Commands During Closely Spaced Parallel Approaches

Pilot non-conformance to alerting system commands has been noted in general and to a TCAS-like collision avoidance system in a previous experiment. This paper details two experiments studying collision avoidance during closely-spaced parallel approaches in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and specifically examining possible causal factors of, and design solutions to, pilot non-conformance.

Pritchett, Amy R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Novel techniques for data decomposition and load balancing for parallel processing of vision systems: Implementation and evaluation using a motion estimation system

Computer vision systems employ a sequence of vision algorithms in which the output of an algorithm is the input of the next algorithm in the sequence. Algorithms that constitute such systems exhibit vastly different computational characteristics, and therefore, require different data decomposition techniques and efficient load balancing techniques for parallel implementation. However, since the input data for a task is produced as the output data of the previous task, this information can be exploited to perform knowledge based data decomposition and load balancing. Presented here are algorithms for a motion estimation system. The motion estimation is based on the point correspondence between the involved images which are a sequence of stereo image pairs. Researchers propose algorithms to obtain point correspondences by matching feature points among stereo image pairs at any two consecutive time instants. Furthermore, the proposed algorithms employ non-iterative procedures, which results in saving considerable amounts of computation time. The system consists of the following steps: (1) extraction of features; (2) stereo match of images in one time instant; (3) time match of images from consecutive time instants; (4) stereo match to compute final unambiguous points; and (5) computation of motion parameters.

Choudhary, Alok Nidhi↗
NASA NTRS1991

Extensions to the Parallel Real-Time Artificial Intelligence System (PRAIS) for fault-tolerant heterogeneous cycle-stealing reasoning

Extensions to an architecture for real-time, distributed (parallel) knowledge-based systems called the Parallel Real-time Artificial Intelligence System (PRAIS) are discussed. PRAIS strives for transparently parallelizing production (rule-based) systems, even under real-time constraints. PRAIS accomplished these goals (presented at the first annual C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) conference) by incorporating a dynamic task scheduler, operating system extensions for fact handling, and message-passing among multiple copies of CLIPS executing on a virtual blackboard. This distributed knowledge-based system tool uses the portability of CLIPS and common message-passing protocols to operate over a heterogeneous network of processors. Results using the original PRAIS architecture over a network of Sun 3's, Sun 4's and VAX's are presented. Mechanisms using the producer-consumer model to extend the architecture for fault-tolerance and distributed truth maintenance initiation are also discussed.

Goldstein, David↗
NASA NTRS1984

The role of optimization in structural model refinement

To evaluate the role that optimization can play in structural model refinement, it is necessary to examine the existing environment for the structural design/structural modification process. The traditional approach to design, analysis, and modification is illustrated. Typically, a cyclical path is followed in evaluating and refining a structural system, with parallel paths existing between the real system and the analytical model of the system. The major failing of the existing approach is the rather weak link of communication between the cycle for the real system and the cycle for the analytical model. Only at the expense of much human effort can data sharing and comparative evaluation be enhanced for the two parallel cycles. Much of the difficulty can be traced to the lack of a user-friendly, rapidly reconfigurable engineering software environment for facilitating data and information exchange. Until this type of software environment becomes readily available to the majority of the engineering community, the role of optimization will not be able to reach its full potential and engineering productivity will continue to suffer. A key issue in current engineering design, analysis, and test is the definition and development of an integrated engineering software support capability. The data and solution flow for this type of integrated engineering analysis/refinement system is shown.

Lehman, L. L.↗
NASA NTRS2010

A Computer Simulation of the System-Wide Effects of Parallel-Offset Route Maneuvers

Most aircraft managed by air-traffic controllers in the National Airspace System are capable of flying parallel-offset routes. This paper presents the results of two related studies on the effects of increased use of offset routes as a conflict resolution maneuver. The first study analyzes offset routes in the context of all standard resolution types which air-traffic controllers currently use. This study shows that by utilizing parallel-offset route maneuvers, significant system-wide savings in delay due to conflict resolution of up to 30% are possible. It also shows that most offset resolutions replace horizontal-vectoring resolutions. The second study builds on the results of the first and directly compares offset resolutions and standard horizontal-vectoring maneuvers to determine that in-trail conflicts are often more efficiently resolved by offset maneuvers.

Lauderdale, Todd A.↗
NASA NTRS1959

APPLICATION OF VARIATIONAL METHODS TO RADIATION HEAT-TRANSFER CALCULATIONS

A variational method is presented for solving a class of integral equations which arise in radiation heat-transfer problems. First, to demonstrate the formulation of radiation problems in terms of integral equations, consideration is given to a system consisting of two nonblack, finite, parallel plates. After a general description of the variational method, its use is illustrated by application to the parallel-plate system. Comparisons are made which show very good agreement with exact solutions.

E. M. Sparrow↗
NASA NTRS1990

A parallel iterative solution method for systems of nonlinear hyperbolic equations

An iterative algorithm suitable for the solution of a system of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differentiation equations in multiple dimensions is discussed. Current numerical methods for systems of nonlinear PDEs have limited parallelism due to strong coupling between the equations. This method decouples the PDEs by linearizing the convention coefficient for a space-time domain. This provides large grain parallelism. The linearization also allows the treatment of some terms in the equations as source terms, providing more freedom to choose from a wider variety of numerical methods. Smaller grain parallelism may be exploited within the solves for each equation. Thus, the method has potential for parallelism at several levels.

Scroggs, Jeffrey S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

AstroMail: Electronic mail for the astrophysics community

As part of the NASA Science Internet User Support Services program, NASA Goddard was interested in R&D which could extend the SolarMail system developed by members of the Wilcox Space Observatory at Stanford University to support a larger astrophysics user community. Specific objectives of the R&D effort were to include: a clone of the existing SolarMail system with additional documentation, enabling a parallel mail system to be established by populating the database; a cloned version of SolarMail functioning with a user database similar to that of the High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD) of the American Astronomical Society; a report on the status and surveyed usage of SolarMail and its clones into an extendable distributed mail system to serve as the basis for AstroMail, including a draft declaration of policy; a prototype AstroMail system based on the above specifications and including at least SolarMail and one of its clones supporting a set of astronomy user databases as subsets; and a report on the status of the prototype AstroMail with recommendations for future modifications to AstroMail.

Scherrer, Phillip H.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Performance Analysis and Optimization on the UCLA Parallel Atmospheric General Circulation Model Code

An analysis is presented of several factors influencing the performance of a parallel implementation of the UCLA atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) on massively parallel computer systems. Several modificaitons to the original parallel AGCM code aimed at improving its numerical efficiency, interprocessor communication cost, load-balance and issues affecting single-node code performance are discussed.

atmospheric study optimization strategies parallel↗