Patent ID: 7418470

Claim:
A method for distributing an algorithm computation request for a complex algorithm in a parallel processing system comprising: receiving from a requesting host a computation request for a complex algorithm wherein the complex algorithm includes a plurality of computation sections; expanding the computation request to a plurality of nodes configured as a Howard Cascade; computing within the Howard Cascade a first computation section to generate a first partial result; returning the first partial result to a control device; receiving further direction from the control device; in response to further direction to compute a next computation section: computing within the Howard Cascade the next computation section to generate a next partial result; and returning the next partial result to the control device; repeating the steps of receiving further direction, computing the next computation section and returning the next partial result in response to receipt of further direction to compute a next computation section; and returning the first partial result and all next partial results to the requesting host as a final result upon completion of computing each computation section of the complex algorithm.