Merge pull request #9970 from jsquyres/pr/v4.1.x/update-readme-heterogeneous-support

v4.1.x: README: make the heterogeneous support more clear

Author: jsquyres

README

@@ -1529,13 +1529,29 @@ MISCELLANEOUS FUNCTIONALITY
   Enable the PERUSE MPI data analysis interface.
 
 --enable-heterogeneous
-  Enable support for running on heterogeneous clusters (e.g., machines
-  with different endian representations).  Heterogeneous support is
-  disabled by default because it imposes a minor performance penalty.
-
-  *** THE HETEROGENEOUS FUNCTIONALITY IS CURRENTLY BROKEN - DO NOT USE ***
-
- --enable-spc
+  Enable support for running on heterogeneous clusters where data
+  types are equivalent sizes across nodes, but may have differing
+  endian representations.  Heterogeneous support is disabled by
+  default because it imposes a minor performance penalty.
+
+  Note that the MPI standard does not guarantee that all
+  heterogeneous communication will function properly, especially
+  when the conversion between the different representations leads to
+  loss of accuracy or range.  For example, if a message with a
+  16-bit integer datatype is sent with value 0x10000 to a receiver
+  where the same integer datatype is only 8 bits, the value will be
+  truncated at the receiver.  Similarly, problems can occur if a
+  floating point datatype in one MPI process uses X1 bits for its
+  mantissa and Y1 bits for its exponent, but the same floating point
+  datatype in another MPI process uses X2 and Y2 bits, respectively
+  (where X1 != X2 and/or Y1 != Y2).  Type size differences like this
+  can lead to unexpected behavior.
+
+  Open MPI's heterogeneous support correctly handles endian
+  differences between datatype representations that are otherwise
+  compatible.
+
+--enable-spc
   Enable software-based performance counters capability.
 
 --with-wrapper-cflags=<cflags>