Object-Oriented Data-Flow Architectures (OODFA) and General Networked Computer Architectures (NCA)

Current research ideas for Computer Architectures

Principles:

Abstract

We are investigating the fundenmentals of Networked Computer Architectures. In particular we are examining object-oriented and data-flow architectures as classes of NCA.

DEFINITIONS

Object-Oriented Architecture

1. Abstract type in which an object is bound to a set of operations which are used to manipulate object.
2. In an object oriented architecure, the primary concept is that processes are requests bound to processors [COX83].

Data Flow Architecture

1. Asynchronous data manipulation
2. Operations are delayed until all data is collected

Past OO Architectures

1. Intel 432

Past Data-Flow Architectures

Proposed OODFA architecture

All modules in the architecture are connected by a communications media. Each module encapsulates objects and methods. Communications between modules are performed via the communications media by mapping the local identifier (LID), which encodes the object, to global identifiers (GLID) at the requesting module which includes the ID, or path to the processing module . The GLID is mapped back to a LID at the processing module. The sending LID is independent of the receiving LID. To implement this architecture a 53 byte message format is used. The GLID/LID is encoded in 5 bytes. The remaining 48 bytes is used for method encoding and data passing.

References

COX83

George W. Cox, William M. Corwin, Konrad K. Lai, and Fred J. Pollack. Interprocess Communications and Processor Dispatching on the INTEL 432, ACM Transactions on Computer Systems, Vol. 1. February 1983, PP 45-66

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