Efficient execution of Kahn process networks on multi-processor systems using protothreads and windowed FIFOs

Abstract

As single-processor systems are ceasing to scale effectively, multi-processor systems are becoming more and more popular. While there are many challenges of designing multi-processor systems in hardware, writing efficient parallel applications that utilize the computing capability of multiple processors may reveal to be even more challenging. In this paper, we introduce a framework that allows to efficiently execute applications expressed as Kahn process networks on multi-processor systems using protothreads and windowed FIFOs. We show that application developers can use this framework to achieve considerable speed-ups on the Cell Broadband Engine without needing to write architecture-specific code.