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From: adb@elrond.CalComp.COM (Alan D. Brunelle)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Information on BSD 4.[23] on two/multiple processor systems
Message-ID: <1112@elrond.CalComp.COM>
Date: Wed, 5-Aug-87 15:12:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: elrond.1112
Posted: Wed Aug  5 15:12:58 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Aug-87 04:41:17 EDT
Organization: Calcomp, A Lockheed Company, Hudson, NH, USA
Lines: 44
Keywords: BSD 4.[23] Multiple Processor Systems


  We are seeking any information on BSD 4.2 or 4.3 support of multiple CPU
  systems. (More specifically a two CPU system such as a VAX 11/782 or 
  VAX 8800.) The types of information we are most interested in are:
    o Does the standard BSD 4.[23] release support the dual processor
      systems?
    o To what extent is the 2nd processor utilized? (Is it a true 
      multi-processor port in that the kernel and user processes can
      run on either CPU, or is it the case that the kernel runs on one
      and only one of the CPUs?) 
    o Are there any performance measures which compare a two processor
      system vs. the single processor version? (Using the same kernel
      source on a single processor system vs. a two processor system,
      does the two processor version equal 1.3? 1.5? 1.7? 2.0!? times
      a single processor system?)

  If a Berkeley standard release does not contain dual processor
  support, does anyone else out there have information on:
    o Which systems DO have a dual (or multiple) CPU UN*X?
    o How to 'coerce' a BSD port to work on a dual cpu architecture?
    o Information on how the two processors are utilized in that
      scheme.
    o What kind of theoretical/practical performance improvement benchmarks
      does the 2 CPU system have over the single CPU version?
      
  Comments about some of the issues involved with multiple processor 
  systems would be appreciated, as would the methods that could handle
  them correctly.  Information on (say) AT&T SysV.3 multiple CPU systems 
  or any other UN*X type boxes out there would also be useful.

  Any answers/comments would be most appreciated. Any replies to me
  would be summarized to the net later (if so desired). 

  thanks,
    al 

    "Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo."

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