This guide is divided into three major parts; it includes
nine chapters, a glossary, two appendixes and a bibliography.
Part I - Basics (Chapters 1-6). This part provides the facts, as well as some interpretation
of the underlying system.
It describes the overall concepts, system, and techniques for
making PVM work for
applications.
Introduction to PVM -
introduction to network computing and PVM;
terms and concepts, including an overview of the system
Overview of PVM
C, C++, and Fortran
basic principles
``hello.c'' example
other systems (e.g., MPI)
PVM Tutorial
setting up PVM
running an existing program
console
XPVM
Programming
basic programming techniques
data decomposition / partitioning
function decomposition
putting PVM in existing code
User Interface
functions
hostfile
Program Examples
PVM programs
Part 2 - Details (Chapters 7-9). This part describes the internals of PVM.
How PVM Works
Unix hooks to PVM interfaces
multiprocessors - shared and distributed memory
Advanced Topics
portability
debugging
tracing
XPVM details
Troubleshooting; interesting tidbits and information
on PVM, including frequently asked questions.
Part 3 - The Remains. This part provides some useful information on the
use of the PVM interface.
Glossary of Terms: gives a short description for
terms used in the PVM context.
Appendix A, History of PVM versions: list of all the versions of PVM that
have been released from the first one in February 1991 through July 1994.
Along with each version we include a brief synopsis of the improvements
made in version 3.
Appendix B, Man Pages: provides an alphabetical listing of all the
PVM 3 routines. Each routine is described in detail for both C and Fortran
use. There are examples and diagnostics for each routine.
Quick Reference Card for PVM: provides
the name and calling sequence for the PVM routines in both C and Fortran.
(If this card is missing from the text a replacement can be downloaded
over the network by ftp'ing to
netlib2.cs.utk.edu;
cd pvm3/book;
get refcard.ps.)
