|
A multiprocessor computer architecture in which two or more identical processors are connected to a single shared main memory is known as “Symmetric Multiprocessing”.
Increasing the performance of the processor is one of the popular ways to increase the performance of a system. This is achieved by using a processor with a faster clock rate. But there is a physical limit for any given technology as the clock simply cannot go any faster.
Symmetric Multiprocessing provides a good solution for this problem by simply adding multiple processors when the processor frequencies reach their limits.
In the early days, more processors are added to the motherboard or the multiple independent computers are clustered together.
|
|
Now-a-days, more CPUs are provided on a single chip using the chip level multiprocessing which provides even greater performance as the memory latency decreases.
Hence, Symmetric Multiprocessing systems are found even in desktops also along with the servers.
Symmetric Multiprocessing was one of the earliest types of multiprocessor machine architectures which were generally used for building smaller computers with up to 8 processors .Symmetric Multiprocessing represents the everyday work for some people and a hope for the gain in the performance for some people.
Multiprocessing originated in 1950s at a number of companies like IBM, Digital Equipment Corporation, Control Data Corporation. Burroughs B5500 introduced a symmetrical MIMD multiprocessor with four CPUs and up to sixteen memory modules connected through a crossbar switch in 1961 which was the first Symmetric Multiprocessing architecture.
|
In 1964, the popular and successful CDC 6600 was introduced and provided a CPU with ten sub processors.
One more symmetrical multiprocessing system of eight CPUs was delivered by Honeywell in 1960s.
With the reputation of uni processor personal computer systems like IBM PC, there was a slight decline in multiprocessing systems in late 1980s. But again these days, multiprocessing have returned to these same PC systems through symmetric multiprocessing.
|
|
| 