Dynamically Adaptive Binomial Trees for Broadcasting in Heterogeneous Networks of Workstations

Binomial trees have been used extensively for broadcasting in clusters of workstations. In the case of heterogeneous nondedicated clusters and grid environments, the broadcasting occurs over a heterogeneous network, and the performance obtained by the broadcast algorithm will depend on the organization of the nodes onto the binomial tree. The organization of the nodes should take into account the network topology, i.e., the communication cost between each pair of nodes. Since the network traffic, and consequently the latency and bandwidth available between each pair of nodes, is constantly changing, it is important to update the binomial tree so that it always reflects the most current network traffic condition. This paper presents and compares strategies to dynamically adapt a binomial tree used for broadcasting to the everchanging traffic condition of the network, including accommodating nodes joining the network at any time and nodes suddenly leaving.