The high-performance parallel interface (HIPPI) and ultra-speed networks

Abstract

We have had excellent success, and user productivity increases, with a research project which provided computer‐generated video‐type output of physics calculations. Now we are investigating ways to provide this visualization capability to many users in a networked environment. We see the need for networking with channel speeds in the 800‐Mbit/s between machines. A basic building block to achieve this capability is the High‐Performance Parallel Interface (HIPPI) being worked on in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Task Group X3T9.3. The HIPPI provides a point‐to‐point channel with speeds of 800 and 1600 Mbit/s (100 and 200 MByte/s). Industry interest is very high, and vendors are starting to produce hardware. Los Alamos is also working with some vendors on computer networks built around the HIPPI, crossbar switches, and intelligent network interfaces. A project is also underway to develop a fiber‐optic transport media to support the higher layer protocols of HIPPI, the Intelligent Peripheral Interface (IPI) and the Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI).