WebComV: A framework to virtualise parallel computing resources

Naively, one considers that embarrassingly parallel problems are capable of exploiting all available resources. In practice, many such problems are constrained to execute on a limited number of resources for the sake of efficiency. Furthermore, for those problems with limited inherent parallelism, algorithms expressing solutions in terms of limited resources are often most efficient. The ideal machine for executing the above classes of algorithm is one in which the number of physical and required resources match. This paper presents WebComV, an idealised algorithm dependant virtual machine, which constantly presents the appropriate view to the algorithm regardless of any dynamic behaviour resulting from the acquisition or loss of physical resources in the course of the computation. The only manifest result of this dynamic behaviour will be a speed-up or slow down in the operation of the virtual resources.