Determining bus arbitration policies and data transfer techniques for multiprocessor systems

Simple models for bus arbitration policies and data transfer techniques in multiprocessor systems are developed, and a procedure for examining their effects on the latency and robustness of the underlying communication subsystem is outlined. The onlink and offlink times of the data transfers are shown to be key factors in the determination of the expected latency and the number of processors that can be supported on the link. The use of unfairness arbitration policies is shown to be inadequate for all but the simplest of systems.<>