Multi-processor - Revision history

Jnc: /* External links */ +Multiprocessor UNIX Operating Systems

2025-07-03T12:13:59Z

‎External links: +Multiprocessor UNIX Operating Systems

Jnc: /* External links */ +Doc with good overview of fundamentals of multi-processor systems

2023-11-28T01:37:44Z

‎External links: +Doc with good overview of fundamentals of multi-processor systems

Jnc: +cat

2018-12-15T14:25:53Z

+cat

Jnc: Proper cat

2018-10-20T01:13:33Z

Proper cat

Jnc: Clarify

2018-08-19T19:19:57Z

Clarify

Jnc: Avoid redir

2018-05-10T19:28:53Z

Avoid redir

Jnc: A start...

2018-05-06T14:39:36Z

A start...

New page

A '''multi-processor''' is a system with more than one [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]]. There are a tremendous range of designs, from 'tightly-coupled' (where they share access to some [[main memory]]) onward. Another axis for dividing them is among:

* MIMD - 'multiple instruction streams, multiple data sets'
* SIMD - 'single instruction streams, multiple data sets'

In the latter, each CPU is fed different data, but they all execute the same [[instruction]]s in the same order.

Among tightly-coupled systems, one can distinguish between 'symmetric' and 'asymmetric' systems; in the former, all the CPUs are 'equal', and can e.g. field [[interrupt]]s from any device. The latter are often so-called 'master/slave' systems, with one CPU in each class.

With the advent of high-speed [[LAN]]s, it is now common to create multi-processors by simply linking togather a number of ordinary systems with a network.

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	* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp10/SMP_Paper.txt TOPS-10 Symmetric Multiprocessing] - includes a very good overview of multi-processing in general		* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp10/SMP_Paper.txt TOPS-10 Symmetric Multiprocessing] - includes a very good overview of multi-processing in general
		+	* [http://squoze.net/UNIX/bltj/06771916.pdf Multiprocessor UNIX Operating Systems], Bell Laboratories Technical Journal, Vol.63, No.8, October 1984 - interesting discussion of the steps needed to move an operating system specialized to a uni-processor to a multi-processor

	[[Category: CPU Basics]]		[[Category: CPU Basics]]

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		+	==External links==
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		+	* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp10/SMP_Paper.txt TOPS-10 Symmetric Multiprocessing] - includes a very good overview of multi-processing in general

	[[Category: CPU Basics]]		[[Category: CPU Basics]]

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		+	[[Category: CPU Basics]]

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	With the advent of very-high-speed [[local area network\|LANs]], it is now common to create multi-processors by simply linking together a number of ordinary systems by use of such a network.		With the advent of very-high-speed [[local area network\|LANs]], it is now common to create multi-processors by simply linking together a number of ordinary systems by use of such a network.

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-A '''multi-processor''' is a system with more than one [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]]. There are a tremendous range of designs, from 'tightly-coupled' (where they share access to some [[main memory]]) onward. Another axis for dividing them is among:
+A '''multi-processor''' is a system with more than one [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]]. There are a tremendous range of designs, from 'tightly-coupled' (where they share access to some [[main memory]], which usually has to be [[multi-port memory]]), onward.
 * MIMD - 'multiple instruction streams, multiple data sets'
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 In the latter, each CPU is fed different data, but they all execute the same [[instruction]]s in the same order.
-Among tightly-coupled systems, one can distinguish between 'symmetric' and 'asymmetric' systems; in the former, all the CPUs are 'equal', and can e.g. field [[interrupt]]s from any device. The latter are often so-called 'master/slave' systems, with one CPU in each class.
+Among tightly-coupled systems, one can distinguish between 'symmetric' and 'asymmetric' systems. In the former, all the CPUs are 'equal', and no CPU has a special, distinguished role (so often any CPU can e.g. field [[interrupt]]s from any [[peripheral]]). The latter are often so-called 'master/slave' systems, with one CPU in the first class, and one or more in the second.
-With the advent of very-high-speed [[local area network|LANs]], it is now common to create multi-processors by simply linking togather a number of ordinary systems with such a network.
+With the advent of very-high-speed [[local area network|LANs]], it is now common to create multi-processors by simply linking together a number of ordinary systems by use of such a network.
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