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Concept
Multiple instruction, multiple data
Summary
In computing, multiple instruction, multiple data (MIMD) is a technique employed to achieve parallelism. Machines using MIMD have a number of processors that function asynchronously and independently. At any time, different processors may be executing different instructions on different pieces of data.
MIMD architectures may be used in a number of application areas such as computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing, simulation, modeling, and as communication switches. MIMD machines can be of either shared memory or distributed memory categories. These classifications are based on how MIMD processors access memory. Shared memory machines may be of the bus-based, extended, or hierarchical type. Distributed memory machines may have hypercube or mesh interconnection schemes.
An example of MIMD system is Intel Xeon Phi, descended from Larrabee microarchitecture. These processors have multiple processing cores (up to 61 as of 2015) that can execute different instructions on different data.
Most parallel computers, as of 2013, are MIMD systems.
In shared memory model the processors are all connected to a "globally available" memory, via either software or hardware means. The operating system usually maintains its memory coherence.
From a programmer's point of view, this memory model is better understood than the distributed memory model. Another advantage is that memory coherence is managed by the operating system and not the written program. Two known disadvantages are: scalability beyond thirty-two processors is difficult, and the shared memory model is less flexible than the distributed memory model.
There are many examples of shared memory (multiprocessors): UMA (uniform memory access), COMA (cache-only memory access).
MIMD machines with shared memory have processors which share a common, central memory. In the simplest form, all processors are attached to a bus which connects them to memory. This means that every machine with shared memory shares a specific CM, common bus system for all the clients.
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