The explicit token store

Abstract

This paper presents an unusually simple approach to dynamic dataflow execution, called the Explicit Token Store (ETS) architecture, and its current realization in Monsoon. The essence of dynamic dataflow execution is captured by a simple transition on state bits associated with storage local to a processor. Low-level storage management is performed by the compiler in assigning nodes to slots in an activation frame, rather than dynamically in hardware. The processor is simple, highly pipelined, and quite general. There is exactly one instruction executed for each action on the dataflow graph. Thus, the machine-oriented ETS model provides new insight into the real cost of direct execution of dataflow graphs.