Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax! pasteur!ames!hc!lll-winken!uunet!ssbell!mcmi!denny From: uimpwg@ssgp32 (Multi-Processor Working Group) Newsgroups: news.announce.conferences Subject: CFP: Unix International Keywords: Unix,Multiprocessor,architecture,papers Message-ID: <888@mcmi.UUCP> Date: 26 Mar 89 04:00:19 GMT Expires: 30 Apr 89 23:00:00 GMT Sender: de...@mcmi.UUCP Reply-To: uimpwg@ssgp32 (Multi-Processor Working Group) Organization: Prime Computer, Inc.,Framingham MA -- Entry Level Systems Group Lines: 123 Approved: denny@mcmi [While this is a CFP, it's not exactly a conference announcement. Comments about its distribution here? -mod] UNIX INTERNATIONAL Multiprocessing Working Group BACKGROUND UNIX International has responsibility for working with AT&T's UNIX Software Organization (USO) to specify the functionality, high level program interface and architectural character of the standard AT&T UNIX System V software system that will be provided by USO to the computer industry. In order to do so in an effective manner, UNIX International is creating a set of Working Groups, one in each area where a major step forward in function is needed, and where an appropriate solution embedded in the UNIX standard would be valuable. The procedure that will be used is as follows: 1. The working group will be composed from qualified members of UNIX International, with some academic participation at the discretion of the working group chairman. The chairman is appointed by the UNIX International Steering Committee. 2. The viewpoints of any qualified organization or person, whether or not a member of UNIX International, is solicited by the working group through a Call for UNIX System Requirements, the first of which accompanies this letter. 3. The working group will review those position papers, and invite some of the submitters to discuss their viewpoints with the working group in more depth. The working group may also invite others whose technical input it desires. 4. The working group is then responsible (in cooperation with the USO organization), based on the inputs received and the viewpoints of the participants, for preparing a set of functional specifications, a high level programming interface, together with architectural guidance, for the UNIX International Steering Committee to deliver to AT&T. It is anticipated that the specifications provided by the working group will be met by subsequent AT&T UNIX systems. THE MULTIPROCESSING WORKING GROUP The first working group chartered by UNIX International is concerned with the extensions to UNIX System V appropriate for support of computer systems composed of a number of main processing elements. The working group expects to complete its work by late summer 1989. It is chaired by Gerald Popek, LOCUS Computing Corporation. The accompanying Call for UNIX System Requirements describes the goals of the working group in more detail. Requests for further information may be addressed to the UNIX International headquarters. MULTIPROCESSOR WORKING GROUP Call For UNIX System Requirements The Multiprocessor Working Group of UNIX International is charged with specifying the functionality that is to be incorporated into subsequent standard versions of UNIX System V to support operation by multiple processors. These specifications will include high level programming interface extensions as well as the appropriate architectural framework. The goal of the committee is to provide a specification that reflects the available perspective in the industry, both in terms of a highest quality technical solution and one which admits a suitable and timely implementation. In order to obtain effective industry input to influence the future of multiprocessor UNIX, UNIX International invites members of the computing community, both system designers and end users, with an interest and perspective on multiprocessor system architectures to submit those points of view to the Multiprocessor Working Group in written form. Submitters are encouraged to address as many of the following points as appropriate to your interests: 1. What are the appropriate criteria by which multiple processor services in a UNIX system should be judged? One of the first tasks which the working group will perform is to decide on its evaluation criteria. 2. What types of workload, both system and application, are enhanced by your suggested approach? Is there any quantification of the improvement that you can offer? Are there any inherent compatibility problems with UNIX System V.4, either at the source or binary level, that you can identify? 3. What hardware architectural approaches are suitable? For what number of processors and how closely coupled is the recommended approach appropriate? What assumptions about memory access are made (e.g. copy on write, linear virtual memory, coherent caches, etc.)? Are there implications on the required hardware structures? 4. What general functional extensions for use of multiple processors by applications programs are recommended? These are the classes of services which applications software can use to take effective advantage of multiple execution engines simultaneously. 5. Consider the high level programming interface to those extensions: system calls, display interfaces, and supporting systems services, including tools such as debuggers and performance analysis tools. 6. What implementation architecture approaches are appropriate to support items four and five above? 7. Give your justifications for the recommended approaches. This discussion should address the performance impact of the recommendations, as well as such other considerations as maintainability, portability across different instruction sets and memory architectures, etc. Papers should not be longer than approximately twenty (20) pages. They should reference published material describing the approach. Papers should be sent to: UNIX International Multiprocessor Working Group 6 Century Drive Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 Tel: 201-263-8400 or 1-800-848-6495 Fax: 201-263-8401 Papers need to be received by May 1, 1989. The committee intends to complete its work and deliver its specification to UNIX International's Steering Committee by late Summer, 1989.