connecting minds sustainable technology

The Greener Way to Multi-computing

In any non-domestic environment, be it a school, university or workplace, the chances are you’re using a multi-computing network. Multi-computing refers to computer systems where several individual computers are connected in parallel – hence the alternative name of parallel computing. However, you can also have a multi-computing network where several processors share a single, powerful memory, stored on a host computer. This saves both energy and money, without affecting users. They can still have their own filing systems, internet access and such like.

People often confuse multi-computing with multi-processing. Although the two can mean the same thing, a multiprocessor can also be a single computer with two or more CPUs. This is done to make the computer (usually a server unit) more powerful. Multi-computing always involves more than one computer – the CPU use is relatively unimportant. Many multi-computing networks are not particularly powerful, but allow multiple processing by a large number of users, for example, school children.

Multi-computing networks are often run at high cost, and with a lot of unnecessary waste. An establishment where 200 computers are installed, each operating a single processor and connected in parallel, could be seen as a one-to-one multi-computing network. However, this takes a lot of equipment and power. The combined memory is huge, compared to what is being used. A much more cost and eco-friendly system could have a ten-to-one (or more) ratio of processors to computers. Energy efficient processors and monitors would keep power usage to a minimum, while still delivering the power and memory needed to each processor unit.

A large number of companies and educational establishments now run this type of multi-computing system, with multiple processors connected under a central regime. Depending on the needs of the users this may be a loosely-coupled non-uniform memory access (NUMA) system, or a tightly controlled cluster. With modern high-powered CPUs and other advances, green, budget-friendly multi-computer solutions are within the grasp of even the most demanding of computer environments.