The SPMD Model: Past, Present and Future

Abstract

I proposed the SPMD (Single Program Multiple Data) model, in January 19841, as a means for enabling parallel execution of applications on multiprocessors, and in particular for highly parallel machines like the RP3 (the IBM Research Parallel Processor Prototype2). This talk will provide a review of the origins of the SPMD, it’s early use in enabling parallel execution of scientific applications and it’s implementation in one of the first3 parallel programming environments. In fact [3] was the first programming environment that implemented the SPMD model; other environments in the 1985 timeframe were based on the fork-and-join (F&J) model.