OpenMP versus threading in C/C++

When comparing OpenMP to other parallel programming models, it is easier to choose between OpenMP and MPI than between OpenMP and POSIX Threads (Pthreads). With languages like C and C++, developers frequently have chosen Pthreads to incorporate parallelism in applications. Few developers are currently using OpenMP C/C++, but they should. We show that converting Genehunter, a hand threaded C program, to OpenMP increases robustness without sacrificing performance. It is also a good case study as it highlights several issues that are important in understanding how OpenMP uses threads. Genehunter is a genetics program which analyzes DNA assays from members of a family tree where a disease is present in certain members and not in others. This analysis is done in an attempt to identify the gene most likely to cause the disease. This problem is called linkage analysis. The same sections of Genehunter were parallelized first by hand threading and then with OpenMP on Compaq Alpha Tru64 systems...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2000
• Where: CONCURRENCY
• Authors: Bob Kuhn, Paul Petersen, Eamonn O'Toole
• Keywords: CONCURRENCY 2000, OpenMP, OpenMP Increases Robustness, Parallel Programming