DailyTech - An Introduction to Multi-processor Systems

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Blog: Hardware An Introduction to Multi-processor Systems
David Kanter (Blog) - December 12, 2006 1:56 PM

4 comment(s) - last by oTAL.. on Dec 19 at 10:38 AM

Exploring the world of SMP, one component at a time

Now that multi-core CPUs have become common place, courtesy of Moore's Law, a deeper understanding of multiprocessor systems is essential. Consoles, servers, even consumer oriented laptop and desktop systems use dual processors -- while high-end systems are beginning to support quad processors.

What are the challenges that face software designers and hardware implementers for multi-core system? Specifically, how do memory systems and system-level architecture overcome the obstacles presented in a multi-core architecture?

Concerns that were previously isolated to high-end systems are now the common case. My most recent article at Real World Tech takes a dive into the fundamental concerns facing multiprocessor systems, including the memory hierarchy, coherency protocols, directories and other scalability techniques and more.

Additional components of the multi-processor architecture come in later installments!

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Moore's law

By Chillin1248 on 12/14/2006 11:17:48 AM , Rating: 2

I thought that Moore's law had to do with the transistor counts on a intergrated circuit and not with chip complexity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law

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Chillin

RE: Moore's law

By oTAL on 12/19/2006 10:37:24 AM , Rating: 2

Yeah, you're right...
I guess it's hard to see establish a relation between those two....

Parent

RE: Moore's law

By oTAL on 12/19/2006 10:38:56 AM , Rating: 2

"see establish"?

Go learn English you idiot!!!

*lol*

Parent

Find

By ted61 on 12/13/2006 11:40:56 PM , Rating: 2

Where in the world did Dailytech find David? That is one complex article. It is a good thing that it was simplified for the common reader.

How does this affect the common computer user? When I build a new PC using dual or quad core, do I have to look at the type of memory that I install? how do the different cores request memory? Are they addressing packets? It seems like there is a lot of fat in the new multi core systems.