Q. Explain about parallel programming environment?
The parallel programming environment comprises of a debugger, an editor, performance evaluator, programme visualizer for increasing output of parallel computation. All programming environments have these tools in one form or other. Based on characteristics of the available tool sets programming environments are categorized as basic, limited, and well developed. The fundamental environment offers simple facilities for debugging and program tracing. The limited integration facilities offer a number of extra tools for parallel debugging and performance evaluation. Well-developed environments offer most advanced tools of debugging programs, for parallel graphics handling and for textual graphics interaction.
There are definite parallel overheads connected with parallel computing. The parallel overhead is amount of time needed to coordinate parallel tasks as opposed to doing useful work. These involve subsequent factors:
i) Task start up time
ii) Synchronisations
iii) Data communications.
In addition these hardware overheads there are definite software overheads imposed by parallel compilers, libraries, tools and operating systems.