The CAVE Project: Hardware or Software Modifications to a Networked PC Can Make It into a Low-Cost, Superscalar Computer Architecture
📜 Abstract
The CAVE (Computer Architecture Via Equipment) project involves modifying networked personal computers (PCs), by adding either hardware or software, so that their collective performance is equivalent to or surpasses that of a single, larger, more expensive computer. This paper explores the potential and mechanisms for achieving such performance enhancements, examines trade-offs in terms of cost and technical complexity, and discusses the design and feasibility of implementing these types of modifications. The objective is to develop techniques and features that would be beneficial for making use of surplus computing resources and thereby increase the cost-effectiveness of computing power in a networked environment.
✨ Summary
The CAVE project as described in this paper presents an innovative approach to enhancing computing performance by integrating hardware or software modifications to networked PCs, effectively creating a low-cost superscalar architecture. Though published in 1994, the notions explored in this paper were quite forward-thinking for that era, especially in terms of distributed and networked computing, which has grown significantly. A subsequent examination reveals that while direct citations or uses of this specific paper are not prominently noted in major commercial or further academic research, the general ideas of utilizing networked PC resources effectively are foundational to modern distributed computing paradigms such as cloud computing. Relevant links to the paper or related research are not available. This suggests the paper contributed incrementally to the broader understanding and development of networked and distributed computing strategies rather than serving as a highly cited keystone paper.