ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights that the important characteristics of the multiprocessor systems discussed here is that all the processors function independently. That is, unlike the SIMD systems in which all the processors execute the same instruction at any given instant of time, each processor in a multiprocessor system can be executing a different instruction at any instant of time. For this reason, Flynn classified them as multiple instruction stream multiple data stream (MIMD) computers. The chapter provides the models for the two common MIMD organizations. It describes the memory organization and the cache coherence problem and extends the description of interconnection networks to MIMD architectures. Operating system considerations for multiprocessors are also discussed. The chapter then presents performance evaluation techniques and a brief description of some commercial multiprocessor systems. Finally, a brief description of some commercial multiprocessor systems is presented.
