I2 Lab Distinguished Seminar Series
Computing with Condensed Graphs

Dr. John Morrison
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
2:00PM - CSB-232

Abstract


Condensed Graphs provide a simple expression of complex dependencies in a program task graph or a work flow. In these graphs, nodes represent tasks and edges represent the sequencing constraints associated with those tasks. The sequence of task execution can be altered by altering the relationship between various nodes. These simple topological changes do not, in general, alter the meaning of the task graph or work flow (although they can affect program termination). Rather, they result in a change in execution order, reflecting either an imperative, data-driven or demand-driven computation. In fact, any desired combination of all three paradigms can be represented within the same task graph or work flow. This flexibility leads to many advantages both in the expression task graphs and in their implementation.

This talk will introduce the concept of Condensed Graphs and discuss various implementation platforms already developed for their execution. In particular, an overview of the WebCom Abstract Machine will be presented. A "Grid Enabled" version of this system, known as WebCom-G is currently being developed as a candidate operating system for Grid-Ireland. The mission of this project is to hide the complexities of computational platform from computational scientists - thus allowing them to concentrate on expressions of solutions to problems rather than on the implementation of those solutions. The status of this project will also be reported.

Short Bio


John Morrison is a professor in the Computer Science Department of University College Cork, Ireland. He is the founder and director of the Centre for Unified Computing; a co-founder and co-director of the Boole Centre for Research in Informatics and a co-founder and co-director of Grid-Ireland.

He is a Science Foundation of Ireland Investigator award holder in Grid Computing, he has been a member of 30 international programme committees and editorial boards. He has published more than 60 international peer reviewed scientific papers in the last 5 years, he has been guest editor on 5 high impact journals and is a co-founder of the International Symposium on Parallel and Distributed Computing.

Prof Morrison is member of the governing board of the SFI funded Irish Centre for High End Computing.