Syllabus Detail
- Types of processing; distributed, sequential, parallel, multi-core. 12 ATAR
Background
- A processor can be seen as the brains of a computer
- The CPU (central processing unit) is in charge of prioritizing tasks as well as processing the information
- In technical terms, the processor is the logic circuitry that processes information
Distributed & Parallel Processing
- Distributed processing is a term used to describe a variety of systems that use more than one computer (or processor) to run specific programs
- Parallel processing refers to a single computer that uses more than one CPU (central processing unit) to run applications and tasks
- Distributed processing can be done through local area network's; wherein special, complex software is able to detect CPU's that aren't in use across computers on the network and utilizes them to run other software
Sequential Processing
- Seqential processing is when the processing occurs in the order that the tasks were received
- For example, applications such as a word processor would send tasks through to the CPU
- The tasks would be processed in the order that they were sent through with sequential processing, generally:
- Opening the document
- Editing the document
- Saving the document
- A task cannot be processed until the task preceding it has completed
Multi-core Processing
- Multi-core processing occurs in computers with multiple processing "cores"
- Each of these cores acts as an individual processing device
- Often, modern computers run on dual-core and quad-core processors
- Dual-core refers to CPU's with two cores, whilst quad-core CPU's contain four cores
- Multi-core processing allows for tasks to be run simultaneously, meaning that more than one task can be processed at a time
Step 5 - Further Research
Step 6 - Worksheet and Practice (yet to be added)
Found an error or have an enhancement? Please let us know via this contact form