ITPEC IP October 2024 Question 15

Dividing processing into simultaneously executable units run on multiple CPUs — parallel processing really executes several parts of the work at the same instant.

A series of processing is split into units that do not depend on each other, and these units run at the same time on multiple CPUs (or cores), which shortens the total processing time. The gain is limited by the parts that must still run in sequence and by the cost of coordinating the CPUs.

Answer (a)

Why not others:

• •(b) — treats several related processes as one unit of work; nothing in it runs simultaneously
• •(c) — describes the client/server model, which divides processing by role: the user interface on the client, business logic and database on the server
• •(d) — describes time sharing on a single CPU: short time slices make applications appear to run together, but only one executes at any instant

Key rule: Parallel processing needs several processors working at the same instant; time sharing only interleaves programs on one CPU.

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