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).
Home (http://www.marketplace.unisys.com/ent/cmp.html).
