Multicore requires OS rework, Windows architect advises (NetworkWorld)

[Drew Wilson]

With chip makers continuing to increase the number of cores they include on each new generation of their processors, perhaps it's time to rethink the basic architecture of today's operating systems, suggested Dave Probert, a kernel architect within the Windows core operating systems division at Microsoft.

The current approach to harnessing the power of multicore processors is complicated and not entirely successful, he argued. The key may not be in throwing more energy into refining techniques such as parallel programming, but rather rethinking the basic abstractions that make up the operating systems model.

Today's computers don't get enough performance out of their multicore chips, Probert said. "Why should you ever, with all this parallel hardware, ever be waiting for your computer?" he asked.

Probert made his presentation on Wednesday at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Universal Parallel Computing Research Center.

More... (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/031910-multicore-requires-os-rework-windows.html)

[mountain_rage]

Not sure about his solution to the efficiency, my view is that his solution would waste a lot of processing power, since every process doesn't process much. But I guess if you have so many cores it no longer maters, it makes sense. My immediate thought was "thank you captain obvious". Whenever you implement a significant new architecture in computers there is always going to be tweaking to get the most performance out of the new system. If there isn't, its usually due to the system not being that drastically different in architecture. Multicore processing from what I understand creates a whole new dichotomy.