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Characteristics of multiprocessors

Short answer

A multiprocessor is a system with two or more CPUs sharing memory and I/O under a single OS, enabling parallel processing. Key characteristics include shared resources, interconnection via bus/crossbar, synchronization through locks, reliability through graceful degradation, and tight or loose coupling.

Define multiprocessor and explain its characteristics.

A multiprocessor is a computer system with two or more CPUs (processors) under one operating system, sharing memory and I/O, and cooperating to execute programs. The CPUs interact at the level of jobs, tasks, programs or instructions.

Characteristics

  • Two or more processors of comparable capability, working under a common integrated OS.
  • Shared resources: the processors share the main memory (global memory), I/O devices and the bus, in addition to their own local memory or cache.
  • Parallel processing: several programs or parts of a program run at the same time, giving higher throughput and speed.
  • Interconnection: processors, memories and I/O are connected by a time-shared bus, multiport memory, crossbar or multistage network.
  • Cooperation and synchronization: processors communicate through shared memory or messages and use semaphores or locks for mutual exclusion.
  • Reliability and fault tolerance: a failed processor can be removed while the others continue, so the system degrades gracefully.
  • Coupling: the system may be tightly coupled (shared memory) or loosely coupled (distributed memory).

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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