cellular multiprocessing

architecture, parallel (CMP) The partitioning of

processors into separate computing environments running

different operating systems.

The term cellular multiprocessing appears to have been coined

by Unisys, who are developing a system where computers

communicate as clustered machines through a high speed bus,

rather than through communication protocols such as

TCP/IP.

The Unisys system is based on Intel processors, initially

the Pentium II Xeon and moving on to the 64-bit Merced

processors later in 1999. It will be scalable from four up to

32 processors, which can be clustered or partitioned in

various ways. For example a sixteen processor system could be

configured as four Windows NT systems (each functioning as a

four-processor symmetric multiprocessing system), or an

8-way NT and 8-way Unix system.

Supported operating systems will be Windows NT, SCO's

Unixware 7.0, Unisys' SVR4 Unix and possibly the OS2200

and MCP-AS mainframe operating systems (with the assistance

of Unisys' own dedicated chipset).

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(1998-09-09)