Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!abbott!keith From: keith@mips.COM (Keith Garrett) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Historical architectural advances?? Message-ID: <42940@mips.mips.COM> Date: 8 Nov 90 19:32:46 GMT References: <1868@m1.cs.man.ac.uk> <8553@scolex.sco.COM> <1888@m1.cs.man.ac.uk> <2443@gould.doc.ic.ac.uk> Sender: news@mips.COM Reply-To: keith@mips.COM (Keith Garrett) Organization: Mips Lines: 16 In article <2443@gould.doc.ic.ac.uk> jsc@doc.ic.ac.uk (Stephen Crane) writes: >In article <1888@m1.cs.man.ac.uk> mshute@cs.man.ac.uk (Malcolm Shute) writes: >>What is the difference between a loosely coupled multicomputer system, >>and a tightly coupled multiprocessor computer? >> >>Granularity of processes for scheduling, and geography of the 'cabinet' >>size. That is all (just about). >Failure modes? Tightly-coupled multiprocessors are just that and may be >assumed to fail as a single unit whereas, multicomputers exhibit partial >failure. I have to disagree. Tightly-coupled MP's can be designed for partial failure. The OLTP folk don't even lose the process. -- Keith Garrett "This is *MY* opinion, OBVIOUSLY" Mips Computer Systems, 930 Arques Ave, Sunnyvale, Ca. 94086 (408) 524-8110 keith@mips.com or {ames,decwrl,prls}!mips!keith