MPI/FT: Architecture and Taxonomies for Fault-Tolerant, Message-Passing Middleware for Performance-Portable Parallel Computing

MPI has proven effective for parallel applications in situations with neither QoS nor fault handling. Emerging environments motivate fault -tolerant MPI middleware. Environments include space -based, wide -area/web/meta computing, and scalable clusters. MPI/FT , the system described here, trades off sufficient MPI fault coverage against acceptable parallel performance, based on mission requirements and constraints. MPI codes are evolved to use MPI/FT features. Non -portable code for event handlers and recovery management is isolated. User-coordinated recovery, checkpointing, transparency and event handling, as well as evolvability of legacy MPI codes form key design criteria. Parallel self -checking threads address four levels of MPI implementation robustness, t hree of which are portable to any multi threaded MPI. A taxonomy of application types provides six initial fault -relevant models; user -transparent parallel nMR computation is thereby considered. Key concepts from MPI/RT – real-time MPI – are also incorporated into MPI/FT, with further overt support for MPI/RT and MPI/FT in applications possible in future.