MULTIPROCESSOR

Multiprocessor is a computer used for processing and executes isolated

instruction streams residing in a single address space. A wide range of
multiprocessors are the shared memory devices, built by linking various
processors to one or more memory banks with the help of a bus or switch.

There are three models comes under a multiprocessor

 UMA (Uniform Memory Access)

 NON-UMA
 COMA (Cache Only Memory Architecture)

1. UMA (Uniform Memory Access) model: This model shares physical

memory in a uniform way between the processors where all the
processors have an even access time to all memory words.
 2. NUMA (Non-Uniform Memory Access) model: It can be considered as
the shared memory multiprocessor only where the access time can vary
regarding the location of the memory word. There are two variants of NUMA
model.

One is in which the shared memory is physically distributed to all Processing

elements while in the other model uses shared memory in the multiprocessor
system.
3. COMA (Cache-Only Memory Architecture) model: This model is
composed by the combination of multiprocessor and cache memory. It
changes distributed memory into caches and is an exceptional case of NUMA.
It lacks the use of the memory hierarchy, and global address space is made up
of combining all the caches.
 MULTICOMPUTER
Multicomputer are the computers where the processors can carry out separate
instruction streams and have their own individual memory. These are not capable
of accessing the other memories attached to other processors. Most of the
multicomputers are the distinct memory machines made by linking nodes (where
each node includes a microprocessor and some memory).

The NORMA model is based on multicomputer. NORMA stands for No-Remote

Memory Access where multiple autonomous nodes containing a processor, local
memory, linked disks and I/O peripherals communicates through passing messages
instead of direct communication.

Key Differences Between Multiprocessor and Multicomputer

1. Multiprocessor is a single computer in which many processors exist. As

against, multicomputer has multiple autonomous computers.
2. There are many processing elements are used in the multiprocessor but they
do not have their private individual memories instead it shares a single
memory. In contrast, multicomputer has several processing elements along
with its own memory and I/O resources, rather than sharing the memory it
implements the distributed memory.
 3. Multiprocessor model needs proper communication between the processing
elements and memory for the effective allocation of resources. Contrariwise,
there is no interaction between the processing elements and memory resources
is required.
4. Multiprocessors use a dynamic network in which the communication links
can be rearranged by setting the active switching unit of the system. On the
contrary, the multicomputer employs static network where the connection of
switching units is fixed and determined by direct point-to-point connections.
5. The microprocessor is referred to as the tightly coupled systems while
multicomputer is known as loosely coupled systems.
Conclusion
The Multiprocessor and multicomputer are the types of parallel computers where
the multiprocessor has numerous processing elements using shared memory.
Conversely, in multicomputer various autonomous computers are connected with
each other and have their own distributed memory.