The ability to utilize multiple cores in a single application to speed up execution depends mainly on the design of the application. If the application was designed to consist of a "mother" process and multiple "daughter" processes then you can multiprocess in hardware. The mother initializes the environment, manages memory heaps, and schedules daughter tasks to execute. In the mainframe world we say the mother "attaches" sub-processes, in Unix-based OSes we say it "forks" its sub-processes. The idea is the same: you have multiple daughters that compete for processor resources. I might create an application that has a user component, a database component, and some report generating process. In theory my mother task can fork off all three and pass work between them all. When a mouse click causes the user interface to fetch a new screen and there's a processor available, then both the mother task and the daughter can each execute on separate CPUs (assuming a duo-core). Likewise, the DB and report generator can both utilize the two processors. In a single processor environment all subtasks must single thread through the processor.
Net result is that an application designed for multitasking can make great use of a multiple CPU computer. The reality is that most personal computer applications were designed to single thread on a single CPU. To answer your question another way, if the application was designed in anticipation of multiple hardware CPUs, you can see a significant speed up in throughput. It all depends on the underlying application design. -Mike __________________ Michel David Lowe Purcellville, VA -----Original Message----- From: Computer Guys Announcements and Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Wayne Dernoncourt Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 3:28 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [CGUYS] multi-core CPU's Intel and AMD both have multi-core CPU's out now. I'm wondering how difficult it is to modify existing code to use this ability? We have some compute bound code that seems to have multiple threads, the vendor says that in their testing (from years ago) that multiple processors didn't help much (for their code). Now that multiple core CPU's and multiple CPU systems are becoming more common, are there applications which can use multiple cores effectively? -- Take care | This clown speaks for himself, his job doesn't Wayne D. | supply this, at least not directly When in doubt, form a committee ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************
