Report Number: CSL-TR-83-240
Institution: Stanford University, Computer Systems Laboratory
Title: ADAM: an ADA-based language for multiprocessing
Author: Luckham, David C
Author: von Henke, Frederick W.
Author: Larsen, H. J.
Author: Stevenson, D. R.
Date: May 1983
Abstract: Adam is a high level language for parallel processing. It is intended for programming resource scheduling applications, in particular supervisory packages for runtime scheduling of multiprocessing systems. An important design goal was to provide support for implementation of Ada and its runtime environment. Adam has been used to implement Ada task supervision and also as a high level target language for compilation of Ada tasking. Adam provides facilities that match the Ada sequential constructs (including subprograms, packages, exceptions, generics). In addition there are specialized module constructs for implementation of packages that may be shared between parallel processes. Adam omits the Ada real types but includes some new predefined types for scheduling. The parallel processing constructs of Adam are more primitive than Ada tasking. Some restrictions are enforced on the ways in which parallel processes can interact. A compiler for Adam has been implemented in MacLisp on DEC PDP-10 computers. Runtime support packages in Adam for scheduling (on a single CPU) and I/O are also provided. The compile contains a library manipulation facility for separate compilation. The Adam compiler has been used to build an Ada compiler for most of the July 1980 Ada language design including task types and rendezvous constructs. This was achieved by implementing algorithms translating Ada tasking into Adam parallel processing as a preprocessor to the Adam compiler. This present Ada compiler, which has been operational since December 1980, uses a procedure call implementation of tasking (due to Haberman and Nassi and to Stevenson). It can be easily modified to other implementations. Compilation of Ada tasking into a high level target language such as Adam facilitates studying questions of correctness and efficiency of various compilation algorithms, and code optimizations specific to tasking, e.g. elimination of unnecessary thread of control. This paper gives an overview of Adam and examples of its use. Emphasis is placed on the differences from Ada. Experience using Adam to build the experimental Ada system is evaluated. Design of runtime supervisors in Adam and algorithms for translating Ada tasking to Adam processing are discussed in detail.
http://i.stanford.edu/pub/cstr/reports/csl/tr/83/240/CSL-TR-83-240.pdf