The same flow is executed on all processors. Individual modules communicate via message passing to implement parallel algorithms. Nearly all message passing is hidden via transpose operations that change the parallel data distribution as appropriate for each algorithm. A significant part of the seismic processing flow requires data to be read in transposed fashion across all processors. Assumes a homogeneous array of processors with similar capabilities.
Load balance is rudimentary, with an attempt to distribute equal-sized 'workstation' chunks of work.
Typically, the data is treated as a collection of 2D arrays, with each processor owning a 'slab' of data. Requires enough memory to hold 2 frames on each node, and a 3D volume spread across the node. On a Cray YMP, medium sized problems with 750 MB of output run at 30-100 Mflops for about an hour. The statistics contained in the remainder of this document are drawn from a single file version of the Arco Parallel Seismic Environment which was prepared at CSRD in the Fall of '94.