PARINO --- An Extendable Framework for Solving Mixed Integer Programs in Parallel

Abstract

This report documents a framework called PARINO that we have developed for solving large mixed integer programs (MIPs)in parallel. PARINO combines portability and efficiency with flexibility. It is written in C++, and is portable across any message passing platforms. The flexibility of the framework is a result of mapping the MIP computation to an entity-FSM paradigm, where it is expressed in terms of the interactions among several distributed active objects. Thus, it is possible to incrementally enhance the functionality of PARINO by incorporating new dynamic objects into the framework. We have used this feature to augment the core parallel MIP computation in PARINO with a simple distributed cut management system, which is again expressed in terms of the entity-FSM paradigm. PARINO is currently operational. It has been tested on an 8-node IBM SP2 multicomputer, and new feature additions and enhancements are being continually made to it.