Novel Graph Processor Architecture, Prototype System, and Results

07/22/2016

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by   William S. Song, et al.

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Graph algorithms are increasingly used in applications that exploit large databases. However, conventional processor architectures are inadequate for handling the throughput and memory requirements of graph computation. Lincoln Laboratory's graph-processor architecture represents a rethinking of parallel architectures for graph problems. Our processor utilizes innovations that include a sparse matrix-based graph instruction set, a cacheless memory system, accelerator-based architecture, a systolic sorter, high-bandwidth multi-dimensional toroidal communication network, and randomized communications. A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) prototype of the new graph processor has been developed with significant performance enhancement over conventional processors in graph computational throughput.