computer science

MultiProcessor Specification

MultiProcessor Specification is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MultiProcessor Specification rather than just read about it. In short: The MultiProcessor Specification (MPS) for the x86 architecture is an open standard describing enhancements to both operating systems and firmware, which will allow them to work with x86-compatible processors in a multi-processor configuration. MPS covers Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC) architectures.

Key takeaways

MultiProcessor Specification belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MultiProcessor Specification to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MultiProcessor Specification from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The MultiProcessor Specification (MPS) for the x86 architecture is an open standard describing enhancements to both operating systems and firmware, which will allow them to work with x86-compatible processors in a multi-processor configuration. MPS covers Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC) architectures. Version 1.1 of the specification was released on April 11, 1994. Version 1.4 of the specification was released on July 1, 1995, which added extended configuration tables to improve support for multiple PCI bus configurations and improve expandability. The Linux kernel and FreeBSD are known to support the Intel MPS. Windows NT 4.0 is known to support MPS 1.1 and, through later Service Packs, also MPS 1.4. Windows 2000 or higher are known to support MPS 1.4. OS/2 is known to support MPS 1.1 only. Mac OS X is known to support MPS 1.4 only. There is a utility called 'mptable' which can be used to examine the MPS table on motherboards. Since most newer machines support Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) which subsumes the MPS functionality, MPS has for the most part been supplanted by ACPI. MPS can still be useful on machines or with operating systems that do not support ACPI.

External links MultiProcessor Specification MPS Specification 1.4 (May 1997) Intel MP Specification compatibility

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MultiProcessor Specification

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MultiProcessor Specification claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MultiProcessor Specification before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MultiProcessor Specification ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MultiProcessor Specification

In research: MultiProcessor Specification appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MultiProcessor Specification in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MultiProcessor Specification is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics BIOS, Computing stubs, Intel products, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MultiProcessor Specification outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study MultiProcessor Specification in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MultiProcessor Specification means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MultiProcessor Specification out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MultiProcessor Specification in simple terms?

Why does MultiProcessor Specification matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MultiProcessor Specification?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MultiProcessor Specification.