Paul Bemowski

With the introduction of the Xeon, Xeon DP, and Xeon MP processors using the P4 core architecture, Intel has incorporated a new feature known as Hyper-Threading or HT. HT is Intel's implementation of a technology known as Simultaneous Multi-Threading, or SMT, that allows a single physical processor to execute multiple threads concurrently. This new feature has great potential in the heavily threaded back-end systems that Linux is targeting in the enterprise data center. Understanding Hyper-Threading In an SMT system, a single physical processor duplicates some of the on-chip architectural state, allowing the processor core to make greater use of available resources. The second architectural state holds another thread context, allowing the processor to more completely use its resources when an active thread encounters some type of latency. For example, when a processo... (more)

Hyper-Threading Java

In early 2002 Intel became the first chip manufacturer to release a processor incorporating a new technology known as Simultaneous Multithreading, or SMT. Intel's SMT implementation (dubbed Hyper-Threading or HT) has been available in their Xeon processor line for over a year, with little fanfare. In April 2003, Intel announced that HT technology will be added to its desktop-focused Pentium 4 line of processors. With HT enabled on one of these new systems, the BIOS will present a single processor to the operating system as two logical processors. As Java developers, we should al... (more)