- A multiprocessor system is an interconnection of two or more CPUs with memory and input-output equipment.
- The term “processor” in multiprocessor can mean either a central processing unit (CPU) or an input-output processor (IOP).
- Multiprocessors are classified as multiple instruction stream, multiple data stream (MIMD) systems
- The similarity and distinction between multiprocessor and multicomputer are
- Similarity
- Both support concurrent operations
- Distinction
- The network consists of several autonomous computers that may or may not communicate with each other.
- A multiprocessor system is controlled by one operating system that provides interaction between processors and all the components of the system cooperate in the solution of a problem.
- Multiprocessing improves the reliability of the system.
- The benefit derived from a multiprocessor organization is an improved system performance.
- Multiple independent jobs can be made to operate in parallel.
- A single job can be partitioned into multiple parallel tasks.
- Multiprocessing can improve performance by decomposing a program into parallel executable tasks.
- The user can explicitly declare that certain tasks of the program be executed in parallel.
- This must be done prior to loading the program by specifying the parallel executable tasks.
- The other is to provide a compiler with multiprocessor software that can automatically detect parallelism in a user’s program.
- The user can explicitly declare that certain tasks of the program be executed in parallel.
- Multiprocessor are classified by the way their memory is organized.
- A multiprocessor system with common shared memory is classified as a shared-memory or tightly coupled multiprocessor.
- Tolerate a higher degree of interaction between tasks
- Similarity
- Each processor element with its own private local memory is classified as a distributed-memory or loosely coupled system.
- Are most efficient when the interaction between tasks is minimal