Which of the following can work on a multiprocessor?
(a) Single instruction, single data stream (SISD)
(b) Single instruction, multiple data stream (SIMD)
(c) Multiple instruction, single data stream (MISD)
(d) Multiple instruction, multiple data stream (MIMD)

The correct answer is Option 2.

Key Points

• A multiprocessor system is a computer system with two or more central processing units (CPUs) that work together to execute tasks simultaneously.
• It supports multiple instruction and data streams, making it suitable for a variety of computational models.
• The following types of computational models can work on multiprocessor systems:
  • Single Instruction, Single Data stream (SISD): While this is typically used for single-processor systems, it can also work in a multiprocessor environment when multiple SISD systems are employed.
  • Single Instruction, Multiple Data stream (SIMD): This model is well-suited for multiprocessor systems where the same instruction is applied to multiple data sets simultaneously, such as in vector processing or GPU-based computations.
  • Multiple Instruction, Single Data stream (MISD): Though rarely used, this model can work on multiprocessor systems for specialized tasks like fault tolerance and redundancy.
  • Multiple Instruction, Multiple Data stream (MIMD): This is the most common model for multiprocessor systems, where different processors execute different instructions on different data sets independently.

Additional Information

• Multiprocessor systems are widely used in high-performance computing, server environments, and parallel processing applications.
• The ability to support all these computational models makes multiprocessor systems highly versatile and scalable.
• SIMD and MIMD are the most commonly used models in modern multiprocessor systems due to their efficiency in handling large-scale data and complex computations.
• Multiprocessor systems also provide fault tolerance and load balancing, enhancing the overall performance and reliability of the system.