Bulk : A Modern C++ Interface for Bulk-Synchronous Parallel Programs

The bulk-synchronous parallel (BSP) programming model gives a powerful method for implementing and describing parallel programs. In this article we present Bulk, a novel interface for writing BSP programs in the C++ programming language that leverages modern C++ features to allow for the implementation of safe and generic parallel algorithms for shared-memory, distributed-memory, and hybrid systems. This interface targets the next generation of BSP programmers who want to write fast, safe, clear and portable parallel programs. We discuss two applications: regular sample sort and the fast Fourier transform, both in terms of performance, and ease of parallel implementation