.Net and 32 processors

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PJ6

Can a properly multithreaded DotNet application use most of the power
available from a 32 processor (AMD64) machine running Microsoft Windows
Server 2003, Datacenter x64 Edition? Would selecting another OS and language
make a big difference?

Paul
 
PJ6

Before we answer your question, will you give us the exact answer on this
one.

God (whatever which one) can make everything

Can God make a stone which he cannot lift himself?

Cor
 
Good questions, Cor. However, to answer PJ6, the answer is yes, to the
extent that Windows can properly use a 32 way SMP system - assuming that you
are able to architect your application to efficiently use that many threads
without contention for common application resources. Changing to a
different OS and/or development environment (dotNet threads are just as
efficient in VB.NET as in C# - so language isn't really a valid question
here) may make sense depending on the overall environment and application
purpose of this beheamouth.

PJ6 - if you can't figure out how to use this beast, send it to me.

Mike Ober.
 
I bow to you for the offer for assistance. :)

Language selection is a valid question, because as I foray into this new (to
me) field of power-computing, I encounter people who turn their noses up at
..Net and tell me to use a language specifically written to run big iron. But
this isn't a Cray and God help me I don't want to learn yet another
language. I'm faced with the argument that the machine is expensive, why not
squeeze all the power out of it that I can, blah blah blah. Apparently
supercomputing and DotNet haven't been mixed a lot yet.

Anyway I'll definitely have threading questions later on (if I go with
DotNet) as the problem I'm working on is not, unfortunately, an
embarassingly parallel one.

Thanks,
Paul
 
Describe the problem - maybe someone here can help you determine if dotNet
is the correct way to go. DotNet applications run multiple threads all the
time, so multiple processors will help even what appears to be a single
threaded application. However, don't force a multi-threaded solution to a
problem that isn't sutable for it - you'll simply make yourself miserable
trying to keep the memory contention thread safe.

Mike.
 
Paul,

I tried to respond to your email, but the spam filters at MIT blocked my
response.

Mike
Class of 85.
 
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