Press release from NII on 20.Jan.2003

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SSS-PC: The next generation operating system

-- New OS which turns PCs into a highly-dependable high-performance computing system --

A project group at National Institute of Informatics of japan, led by Doctor Takashi Matsumoto, developed a new generation operating system named SSS-PC (three S PC) which runs on commodity PCs in offices and makes up a highly-dependable and high-performance computer system. The group succeeded to run SSS-PC on a prototype system constructed from 16 PCs. SSS-PC can integrate up to a hundred thousands of PCs into a single high performance parallel computer. Furthermore, SSS-PC lets users do maintenance works such as machine replacement or component inspection without stopping running applications, and dynamically extend or reduce system configuration without system suspension. LINUX or UNIX applications can be ported to SSS-PC without modifying source codes by using compatible program development environment. Popularity is planned to be gained from server computers where high availability and non stop requirements for applications are high.

SSS-PC project is partly supported by the Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan (IPA), from 2001. National Institute of Informatics of japan supports technology transfer and realization of development and popularization of SSS-PC as a part of promotion effort for industry and academy tie-up. NII's achievement includes foundation of a venture company called Information Science Laboratory¡¤Ltd. (ISLL) in July, 2002 and recognition of Doctor Matsumoto's side-line business and inauguration to a vice-president of ISLL.

SSS-PC's future lies in being a foundation platform for highly dependable computing and the project team will focus on development of core functions for such system. Redundant Decision-by-majority function will be incorporated to SSS-PC. With the function, application outputs are decided through decision by majority process among multiple instances of identical application tasks to make the best use of multiple computers available. A highly dependable network file system called NRFS which utilizes Redundant Decision-by-majority function has been developed by the project team. NRFS for Linux version is open to the public and distributed for free.

SSS-PC features many new technologies. First, SSS-PC implements Memory Based Communication Facility (MBCF) with a high performance communication protocol. MBCF reduces communication overhead cost to as small as one-thirtieth of which when standard protocols such as TCP/IP are used. Second, SSS-PC has task migration function which is not existent in other general purpose operating systems. The function can migrate running tasks between computers and continue execution. A scheduling system based on Free Market Method (FMM) performs system wide load balancing. This mechanism arbitrates resource usage in the system and provides an environment without disorder where applications executes on self-selected computers according to their taste and self-assessed resource usage information.

SSS-PC, with these core functions, turns PCs into a highly-dependable high-performance parallel computer, enables dynamic system reconfiguration such as machine addition without stopping applications, and realizes system maintenance without suspending the system. SSS-PC is very much scalable and highly-extensible because all of it's core is well-designed and well-implemented. And this scalability character makes it possible for SSS-PC to perform all of its features it's specific under an environment where a hundred thousands of PCs are integrated.

URLs for related websites:
SSS-PC: http://www.ssspc.org/ (opened as of 20.Jan.2003)
NRFS: http://ssscore.org/nrfs/
ISLL: http://www.isll.co.jp/ (opened as of 22.Jan.2003)


Features of SSS-PC

SSS-PC's features are summarized below. Please refer to SSS-PC web site (http://www.ssspc.org/) for more detailed information.

  1. High performance communication protocol

    SSS-PC implements Memory Based Communication Facility (MBCF) developed by the project team. SSS-PC also implements standard communication protocols, such as TCP/IP. MBCF is a high performance communication protocol and realizes low communication overhead as one-thirtieth small as other standard protocols. For that reason, SSS-PC is capable of running parallel programs efficiently in a clustered system.

  2. . Application can change running node dynamically

    SSS-PC implements task migration functionality which lets programs to change running machine and continue execution without stopping. Even parallel programs can migrate between machines. Task migration realizes system maintenance and dynamic system reconfiguration without stopping applications or the system.

  3. Scheduling based on Free Market Mechanism

    To determine resource distribution, SSS-PC uses scheduling based on Free Market Mechanism. This mechanism arbitrates resource usage in the system and provides an environment Without disorder where applications execute on self-selected computers according to their taste and self-assessed resource usage information.

  4. High scalability

    SSS-PC is well designed and well implemented from scalability point of view. It is capable of integrating up to a hundred thousand of PCs or servers to constitute a parallel computer. With the help of task migration function, SSS-PC realizes extension of nodes according to operation load without stopping the system.

  5. Source level compatibility with Linux applications

    To make the best use of existing software resources, a C language library is provided to achieve source level compatibility with existing software on LINUX or UNIX platforms,

  6. Popularity gain and future plan

    SSS-PC's task migration function can play the main role to build up dependable computing platform. Popularity is planned to be gained from server computers where high availability and non stop requirements for applications are high. Parallelized versions of web server and database server are being developed in the aim of providing server market applications.


PRESS RELEASE 20.Jan.2003
National Institute of Informatics of japan (http://www.nii.ac.jp)


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