A general-purpose distributed computing environment with application to DNA analysis

Abstract

This report describes the full design and development of a general-purpose programmable distributed environment. The aim of the system is to provide developers with a quick and easy platform for implementing distributed computations in the context of a MIMD architecture (multiple instruction, multiple data). The model underlying the system is a combination of the client-server model and the pipeline processor model. The design and implementation of the system is based on an early version of the Java Distributed Computation Library by Fritsche, Power, and Waldron. The distinguishing feature of the system is its ability to dynamically change the algorithm sent to clients. We have demonstrated the functionality of our system by solving a problem from the field of DNA analysis. Our system was evaluated over a local area network of approximately two hundred computers. This report contains a description of the JDCL and its modifications, a user manual, and the code for a sample distributed application.

Keywords: distributed computing, MIMD emulation, Java, DNA analysis.