CSCI 4630 assignment 1

• 1.5. What is the main advantage of multiprogramming? (Concentrate on plain multiprogramming, without time sharing.)

• 1.10. Describe the differences between symmetric and asymmetric multiprocessing. What are three advantages and one disadvantage of multiprocessor systems? (You will need to read the book to answer this one.)

• 2.3. What is the difference between a trap and an interrupt? What is the use of each function?

• 2.5. Which of the following instructions should be privileged?
  1. Set value of timer.
  2. Read the clock.
  3. Clear memory.
  4. Turn off interrupts.
  5. Switch from user mode to monitor mode (supervisor mode).

• 2.9. When are caches useful? What problems do they solve? What problems do they cause? If a cache can be made as large as the device for which it is caching (for instance, a cache as large as a disk), why not make it that large and eliminate the device?