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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.arch
Subject: Re: What other topics besides RISC?
Message-ID: <3799@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Apr-84 18:41:54 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.3799
Posted: Thu Apr 26 18:41:54 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 26-Apr-84 18:41:54 EST
References: <253@houxk.UUCP>, <183@utastro.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 12

People have built systems with multiple processors in the same box,
sharing some resources.  The processors generally have their own
memory over and above any shared memory, because memory contention
can degrade processor performance pretty quickly.  There is some
economy of scale in communications (backplanes are -- or at least,
look -- cheaper than local networks) and in support services like
power supplies and mechanical hardware.  My impression, though, is
that the savings are not huge, and that the people doing it are
mostly folks who wouldn't know good local networking if it bit them.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry