from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
symmetric multiprocessing
symmetric multiprocessor
<parallel> (SMP) Two or more similar {processors} connected
via a high-{bandwidth} link and managed by one {operating
system}, where each processor has equal access to I/O devices.
This is in contrast to the "{compute server}" kind of
{parallel processor} where a {front-end processor} handles all
I/O to disks, terminals and {local area network} etc.
The processors are treated more or less equally, with
{application programs} able to run on any or perhaps all
processors in the system, interchangeably, at the operating
system's discretion. Simple MP usually involves assigning
each processor to a fixed task (such as managing the file
system), reserving the single main CPU for general tasks.
{OS/2} currently supports so-called HMP (Hybrid
Multiprocessing), which provides some elements of symmetric
multiprocessing, using add-on IBM software called MP/2. OS/2
SMP was planned for release in late 1993.
(1995-03-19)