AW: [Caml-list] Distributed computing libraries

[Gerd Stolpmann <info@gerd-stolpmann.de>]

Am 06.06.2012 18:53:07 schrieb(en) Thomas Braibant:
> Hi list,
> 
> There exists several different "distributed computing libraries" in  
> OCaml:
> 
> - Functory http://functory.lri.fr/
> - JoCaml http://jocaml.inria.fr/ (not really a library, though)
> - Nproc https://github.com/MyLifeLabs/nproc
> - OCaml for multicore http://www.algo-prog.info/ocmc/web/ (not a  
> library either)
> - Parmap https://gitorious.org/parmap/parmap
> - Plasma Map/Reduce http://plasma.camlcity.org/plasma/
> 

These are very different pieces of software, because they tackle  
problems at various abstraction levels. ocmc is the most level-level  
here, as it "only" tries to improve the runtime so that threads can be  
run in parallel on multiple cores. That's it, there is no additional  
abstraction on top of the standard threading API - no distribution, no  
computing.

JoCaml uses the normal multi-threading in the runtime, but integrates  
it differently into the language. So, it adds abstraction, but you are  
still limited to a single core.

So far I know, all the other libraries base on multi-processing to run  
programs on multiple cores. Plasma is the only one with true  
distribution capabiltiies beyond a single computer, but the price is  
that you must use the map/reduce scheme, whereas functory or parmap  
leave you more freedom. However, all multi-processing approaches share  
the property that the data flow is limited by process boundaries  
(unless you go really low-level and also take Netmulticore into  
consideration (part of Ocamlnet), which uses shared memory to overcome  
these limitations).

I don't know what you are exactly looking for. Knowing the problem it  
would be easier to recommend something.

Gerd



> And I am pretty sure that this list is not exhaustive, looking at
> http://caml.inria.fr/cgi-bin/hump.en.cgi?sort=0&browse=77
> 
> Maybe it would be interesting for the community if someone could sum
> up the pros and cons of each of this "libraries", and maybe give some
> information about their status (still in development, mature, etc)?
> 
> With best regards,
> Thomas Braibant
> 
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> 



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Gerd Stolpmann, Darmstadt, Germany    gerd@gerd-stolpmann.de
Creator of GODI and camlcity.org.
Contact details:        http://www.camlcity.org/contact.html
Company homepage:       http://www.gerd-stolpmann.de
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