Release Notes for Parallel HDF5 v1.0.1
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1. Overall Description of Parallel HDF5
   ------------------------------------

1.1. Supported features:
     
     HDF5 files are accessed according to the communicator and INFO
     object defined in the property list set by H5Pset_mpi.

     Independent read and write accesses to fixed and extendable dimension
     datasets.

     Collective read and write accesses to fixed dimension datasets.


1.2. Supported platforms:

     Intel Red
     IBM SP2
     SGI Origin 2000


2. Changes since since last beta release 
   -------------------------------------

2.1. Support of Access to Extendable Dimension Datasets.
     Extendable dimension datasets must use chunked storage methods.
     A new function, H5Dextend, is created to extend the current
     dimensions of a dataset.  The current release requires the
     MPI application must make a collective call to extend the
     dimensions of an extendable dataset before writing to the
     newly extended area.  (The serial does not require the
     call of H5Dextend.  The dimensions of an extendable
     dataset is increased when data is written to beyond the
     current dimensions but within the maximum dimensions.)
     The required collective call of H5Dextend may be relaxed
     in future release.

     This release only support independent read and write accesses
     to extendable datasets.  Collective accesses to extendable
     datasets will be implemented in future releases.

2.2  Collective access to fixed dimension datasets.
     Collective access to a dataset can be specified in the transfer
     property list argument in H5Dread and H5Dwrite.  The current
     release supports collective access to fixed dimension datasets.
     Collective access to extendable datasets will be implemented in
     future releases.
     
2.3  HDF5 files are opened according to Communicator and INFO object.
     H5Dopen now records the communicator and INFO setup by H5Pset_mmpi
     and pass them to the corresponding MPIO open file calls for
     processing.

2.4  This release has been tested on IBM SP2, Intel Red and SGI Origin 2000
     systems.  It uses the ROMIO version of MPIO interface for parallel
     I/O supports.



3. Useful Contacts
   ---------------
   Parallel HDF webpage: "http://hdf.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Parallel_HDF/"
   ROMIO webpage: "http://www.mcs.anl.gov/home/thakur/romio/"
   Send comments to: hdfparallel@ncsa.uiuc.edu


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Last updated: Dec 17, 1998.