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SMP
A computer with multiple equal CPU cores that share the same memory and can all run tasks at once.
Symmetric multiprocessing means several identical processors share one main memory and are treated equally by the operating system, so any core can run any task. It unlocks real parallelism but demands careful locking, because multiple cores touching shared data at the same time cause race conditions. Per-CPU state and correct locks (like spinlocks) are how an SMP kernel stays safe.
See also
- spinlockA lock where a CPU waiting for it just keeps re-checking in a tight loop until it's free.
- schedulerThe part of an operating system that decides which thread runs on the CPU next, and switches between them.
- semaphoreA counter used to coordinate threads, letting a limited number proceed while others wait.