Intel hyper-threading can boost performance

Warren Togami warren at togami.com
Tue Oct 2 21:26:47 PDT 2001


----- Original Message -----
From: "Dusty" <dusty at sandust.com>
To: "Linux & Unix Advocates & Users" <luau at list.luau.hi.net>
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 8:10 AM
Subject: [luau] Intel hyper-threading can boost performance


> Because a hyper-threaded processor appears to software as two processors,
software can easily confuse a dual-processor Xeon system with a 4-way Xeon
system. Software must learn to distinguish between hyper-threading and SMP.
Otherwise, enterprises could pay higher fees based on per-processor
licensing. Intel claims to have worked through this issue with Microsoft,
but other server-side software vendors must come on board as well.
>

This actually shouldn't effect Open Source server operating systems too
much, because we probably wont have to modify our operating systems to
recognize the difference between SMP and hyper-threading.  Microsoft must do
this because they limit the number of SMP CPU's that a certain grade of
their NT operating system... for instance Win2000 and XP Professional can
only use 2 CPU's.  Linux wont have this problem, because Linux wont require
a higher licensing fee for more processors.

The only exception I can think of may be Oracle on Linux...



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