Faust: an integrated environment for parallel programming

Abstract

A description is given of Faust, an integrated environment for the development of large, scientific applications. Faust includes a project-management tool, a context editor that is interfaced to a program database, and performance-evaluation tools. In Faust, all applications work is done in the context of projects, which serve as the focal point for all tool interactions. A project roughly corresponds to an executable program. Faust achieves functional integration through operations on common data sets maintained in each project. Sigma, a Faust tool designed to help users of parallel supercomputers retarget and optimize application code, helps them either fine-tune parallel code that has been automatically generated or optimize a new parallel algorithm's design. Faust includes a dynamic call-graph tool and an integrated, multiprocessor performance analysis and characterization tool set.