Networked computer with multiple embedded rings

A method of generating a set of programs to be executed in parallel on a computer comprising a plurality of processing nodes connected in a configuration of multiple stacked layers of processing nodes including a first endmost layer, a second endmost layer, and at least one intermediate layer forming a multi-face prism;

• wherein each face of the multi-face prism comprises a plurality of stacked pairs of processing nodes from the first endmost layer, the at least one intermediate layer, and the second endmost layer,
• wherein the processing nodes of each pair are connected to each other by at least two intralayer links, and the processing node of each pair is connected to a corresponding processing node in an adjacent stacked pair by at least one interlayer link;
• and
• wherein each pair of processing nodes forms part of one of the layers of the configuration, each layer comprising multiple processing nodes, each processing node connected to their neighbouring processing nodes in the layer by at least one of the intralayer links to form a ring, the method comprising:
• generating at least one data transmission instruction for each program to perform a data transmission stage in which data is transmitted from the processing node executing that program, wherein the data transmission instruction comprises a link identifier which defines an outgoing link on which data is to be transmitted in that data transmission stage;
• and
• determining the link identifiers in order to transmit data on each of a plurality of one dimensional paths formed by respective sets of processing nodes and links, each one dimensional path having a first portion between the first and second endmost layers via the at least one intermediate layer using all processing nodes in one of the faces and a second portion between the second and first endmost layers via the at least one intermediate layer using all processing nodes in an opposing face of the configuration only once.

A method of executing a set of programs in parallel on a computer comprising a plurality of processing nodes connected in a configuration comprising a multi-face prism;

• wherein each face of the multi-face prism comprises multiple stacked pairs of processing nodes from a first endmost layer, an at least one intermediate layer, a the second endmost layer, wherein the processing nodes of each pair are connected to each other by at least two intralayer links, and the processing node of each pair is connected to a corresponding processing node in an adjacent pair by at least one interlayer link wherein the corresponding processing nodes are connected by respective interlayer links to form respective edges of the configuration;
• and
• wherein each stacked pair of processing nodes forms part of one of the layers of the configuration, each layer comprising multiple processing nodes, each processing node connected to their neighbouring processing nodes in the layer by at least one of the intralayer links to form a ring, the method comprising:
• executing at least one data transmission instruction in each program to define a data transmission stage in which data is transmitted from the processing node executing that program, wherein the data transmission instruction comprises a link identifier which defines an outgoing link on which data is to be transmitted in that data transmission stage;
• the link identifiers having been determined in order to transmit data around each of a plurality of one dimensional paths formed by respective sets of processing nodes and links, each one dimensional path having a first portion between the first and second endmost layers via the at least one intermediate layer using all processing nodes in one of the faces of the configuration only once, and a second portion via the at least one intermediate layer using all processing nodes in an opposing face of the configuration only once.