Distributed computing solutions to the all-pairs shortest path problem

Abstract

This paper proposes two distributed solutions to the all-pairs shortest path problem, and reports the results of experiments conducted on a network of IBM RISC System/6000s, containing up to seven such workstations. It discusses the issues that become critical in a distributed environment as opposed to a parallel environment, and the results obtained underline the importance of reducing communication between the loosely coupled subtasks in a distributed environment. The results demonstrate that properly designed distributed algorithms, which take into account the limitations (in terms of a slower communication medium and/or the non-dedicated mode of machines) of a distributed computing environment, can yield significant performance benefits.<>