Multiprocessor Systems Overview

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What are the three main advantages of a multiprocessor system?

Increased throughput, reduced energy consumption, and improved scalability

Increased throughput, economy of scale, and increased reliability (correct)

Increased throughput, reduced memory usage, and improved fault tolerance

Increased throughput, reduced cost, and improved performance

What is the difference between asymmetric multiprocessing and symmetric multiprocessing (SMP)?

Asymmetric uses a single processor, while SMP uses multiple processors

Asymmetric is more common in small systems, while SMP is more common in large systems

Asymmetric uses a master processor to schedule and allocate work, while SMP has each processor running an identical copy of the OS (correct)

Asymmetric is more efficient for parallel processing, while SMP is better for serial processing

What is the main reason for using multiple hardware and software duplicates in a fault-tolerant multiprocessor system?

To improve load balancing

To take the majority result and mask component failures (correct)

To provide backup in case of a system crash

To increase processing power

Which of the following is NOT a key characteristic of a multiprocessor system?

Dedicated memory for each processor Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason for the speed-up in a multiprocessor system not being linear with the number of processors?

Overhead from inter-processor communication and coordination Signup and view all the answers

What is the key benefit of the 'graceful degradation' property of a multiprocessor system?

The system can continue to perform operations proportional to the level of operations of the surviving parts Signup and view all the answers

What type of interrupt is generated when the user presses the power button to boot up the computer?

Hardware interrupt Signup and view all the answers

When the CPU encounters a page fault while executing an instruction, what type of interrupt is generated?

Synchronous interrupt Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of the Interrupt Service Routine (ISR)?

Schedule the next process to run Signup and view all the answers

In a multiprocessor system, how do the CPUs typically coordinate to handle interrupts?

Interrupts are dynamically assigned to the least busy CPU Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key difference between hardware and software interrupts?

Hardware interrupts are generated by external devices, while software interrupts are generated by the CPU Signup and view all the answers

In a multiprocessor system, which of the following is a key advantage of having a shared interrupt controller?

Better load balancing of interrupt processing Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of interrupts in an operating system?

To signal the CPU to stop its current activities and execute a specific part of the operating system Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a type of interrupt?

Kernel interrupt Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of hardware interrupts?

To signal that an external device needs attention from the operating system Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about software interrupts is correct?

Software interrupts are used to request system calls from the operating system Signup and view all the answers

In a multiprocessor system, each processor typically has:

Its own registers and cache, but shares the same memory with other processors Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of a clustered system over a traditional multiprocessor system?

Higher availability and fault tolerance Signup and view all the answers

Multiprocessor Systems Overview

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