Memory contention for shared memory vector multiprocessors

The author describes a simulation study of interprocessor memory contention for a shared-memory, vector multiprocessor. When programs execute together on such a system, each program´s performance, relative to its performance on a single dedicated processor, degrades because of contention among processors for shared memory. From the results of the simulation study, the author proposes analytic forms for the asymptotic steady-state behavior of throughput, time delay, and efficiency as functions of hardware parameters. The results suggest criteria for evaluating hardware designs and an index of quality for comparing different designs