QUICK DOCUMENTATION FOR F-PRAM PACKAGE
====================================== 
Simo Juvaste     juvaste@cs.joensuu.fi

1. What is this "F-PRAM" & this package
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F-PRAM is a parametrized model of parallel computation. Similar models
include BSP and LogP. F-PRAM is exploits more asynchronous shared memory
access than most other models. For analysation purposes, F-PRAM includes
a fairly large set of parameters. For shared memory access, the model
has a new primitive, the future (of Multilisp). See below for references
to more information on the model.

F-PRAM emulator system is a package to study the F-PRAM model, parallel
algorithms, and especially the impact of parallel machine properties on
the parallel algorithms. For example, we can study the impact of shared
memory latency on a given algorithm. We can run the same algorithm with
latencies varying from 1 to 1,000,000 clock cycles. Moreover, we can
compare the impacts of, e.g., latency and overhead. This flexible
measurements would be impossible using real parallel computers.

Emulator system consists of a parametrizable F-PRAM machine emulator. To
use the emulator, the system also includes a high-level language
compiler and an assembler. To perform large sets of measurements easily,
we also have a semiautomatic measurement system that generates test sets
and inputs, performs the emulations, and postprocesses the results into
plottable form.

Authors:
PRAM emulator by Pasi Hämäläinen (1992)
Most of the F-PRAM emulator by Jukka Veräjäntausta (1997)
fpm compiler, measurement system, updates of the emulator, coordination
by Simo Juvaste (1991-1999)


2. Installation
---------------

What you need:

To compile the package
- ANSI C compiler (e.g., gcc)
- make
- cat

To use the main programs
- cpp

To use the (semi)automated measurement system
- awk (in some scripts gawk, or some other awk with 2D arrays)
- csh or compatible
- sort

To plot results
- gnuplot (or some other chart tool or spreadsheet)

0) unpack the tar.gz file, cd to F-PRAM-1.1
	gunzip -c F-PRAM-1.1.tar.gz | tar -xvf -
	cd F-PRAM-1.1

1) setenv FPRAMDIR `pwd`

   - this environment variable is used in most scripts and in the Makefile
     to locate e.g. awk programs

2) edit Makefile.config

   - change CC & FLAGS if needed
   - you want to use the most optimal compiler and compiler options
   - set correct path for csh

3) make

4) add $FPRAMDIR/bin to your executable search path
   csh (& compatible) users: set path = ( $path $FPRAMDIR/bin )

3. Further information
----------------------

Testing the package: see INSTALL.txt

To keep the package compact, it contains only a little documentation,
see README.txt for references to more extensive documents.