Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcvax!ukc!acorn!moncam!emmo
From: emmo@moncam.co.uk (Dave Emmerson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Faster loading
Keywords: parallel, loading, transputer
Message-ID: <259@marvin.moncam.co.uk>
Date: 5 Aug 89 22:28:11 GMT
Organization: Monotype ADG, Cambridge, UK
Lines: 32


Continuing the discussion prompted by jbww@ukc.ac.uk (J.B.W.Webber)

Quote:  (for those who missed this wish)
	thus the user is up and running, without having to wait for 
	the whole network to boot, ramdisks/caches to be filled.
	By the time one is ready to, say, C compile, the compiler parts, 
	libraries etc. are sitting in memory, on the relevant processors.

i.e. the first part of a pipeline of processes : by the time the data 
	pops out of the first part of the pipeline, the program can be
	in place for the next.

Endquote

Well I won't trash the idea, it doesn't deserve it, but if you think on
it a bit further, you'll realise that parallel PROCESSORS aren't enough.
Your programmes, libraries, data etc.. are stored as SERIAL data, so you
can only load one item (part item if you multi-task and thrash the drive)
at a time.
To realise your wish, you'll have to store executables on one drive, and
data (sources) on another. Then multi processors with both private (during
upload) and shared (during e.g. compile) memory areas can both access
their resources simultaneously.
It'll get a bit messy when you have to decide exactly what to keep on
each drive, and no doubt you'll end up with some duplication, with all
the associated problems maintaining 2 copies..

Maybe someone'll do it one day. If it weren't for the dreamers among
us we'd still be living in trees.

Dave E.