Chapter 13. Getting Started with MPI
This chapter takes
you through the creation of a simple program that uses the MPI
libraries. It begins with a few brief comments about using MPI. Next,
it looks at a program that can be run on a single processor without
MPI, i.e., a serial solution to the problem. This is followed by an
explanation of how the program can be rewritten using MPI to create a
parallel program that divides the task among the machines in a
cluster. Finally, some simple ways the solution can be extended are
examined. By the time you finish this chapter,
you'll know the basics of using MPI.
Three versions of the initial solution to this problem are included
in this chapter. The first version, using C, is presented in detail.
This is followed by briefer presentations showing how the code can be
rewritten, first using FORTRAN, and then using C++. While the rest of
this book sticks to C, these last two versions should give you the
basic idea of what's involved if you would rather
use FORTRAN or C++. In general, it is very straightforward to switch
between C and FORTRAN. It is a little more difficult to translate
code into C++, particularly if you want to make heavy use of objects
in your code. You can safely skip either or both the FORTRAN and C++
solutions if you won't be using these languages.
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