Hierarchical function distribution - a design principle for advanced multicomputer architectures

An abstract view of a computer system is provided by a hierarchy of functions, ranging from the high-level operating system functions down to the primitive functions of the hardware. Vertical migration of high-level functions into the microcode of a CPU or horizontal migration of hardware functions out of the CPU into dedicated processors alone is not an adequate realization method for innovative computer architectures with complex functionality. In the paper, a new design principle called hierarchical function distribution is introduced to cope with the task of designing innovative multicomputer systems with complex functionality. The design rules of hierarchical function distribution are presented, and the advantages of the approach are discussed and illustrated by examples.