Synonyms
Definition
Flow control is a synchronization protocol for transmitting and receiving units of information. It determines the advance of information between a sender and a receiver, enabling and disabling the transmission of information. Since messages are usually buffered at intermediate switches, flow control also determines how resources in a network are allocated to messages traversing the network.
Discussion
Flow control is defined, in its broad sense, as a synchronization protocol that dictates the advance of information from a sender to a receiver. Flow control determines how resources in a network are allocated to packets traversing the network. First, basic definitions and types of flow control are introduced. Then, differentiation between flow control and switching is highlighted. Finally, basic flow control mechanisms are described and briefly compared.
Messages, Packets, Flits, and Phits
Usually, the sender needs to transmit information to the receiver....
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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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Flich, J. (2011). Flow Control. In: Padua, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Parallel Computing. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09766-4_316
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09766-4_316
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-09765-7
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-09766-4
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