WinXPSP2, Intel Core2Duo, Kernel drivers

[on3lonestar]

Hello,

I write experimental drivers, and have never worked on SMP systems yet.
I need to upgrade to an IBM T60 but I am worried about the dual-core
Intel processor engine. I have the following questions:

- It seems the dual-core provides 2 pipelines and 2 caches to 2 cores
on a single die. This sounds like a SMP system. Will my drivers have to
worry about SMP stuff?

- Can I configured Windows XP SP2/BIOS to completely disable/ignore one
of the cores when I write my drivers? Will there be a major performance
impact if I did this? I read that Windows installs a different HAL when
it sees an SMP... so it sounds like I cant do this at boot time each
time.. it has to be a one-time decision during installation?

Basically, I want to know if I can write non-SMP aware drivers in
someway on a IBM T60 that has a core2duo processor engine.

Thanks!

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Discover more about Intel dual-core and multi-core processors
by visiting the following areas of the Intel Web site:
http://www.intel.com/technology/computing/dual-core/

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

Enjoy all the benefits of genuine Microsoft software:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/default.mspx

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­---------------------------------

:

| Hello,
|
| I write experimental drivers, and have never worked on SMP systems yet.
| I need to upgrade to an IBM T60 but I am worried about the dual-core
| Intel processor engine. I have the following questions:
|
| - It seems the dual-core provides 2 pipelines and 2 caches to 2 cores
| on a single die. This sounds like a SMP system. Will my drivers have to
| worry about SMP stuff?
|
| - Can I configured Windows XP SP2/BIOS to completely disable/ignore one
| of the cores when I write my drivers? Will there be a major performance
| impact if I did this? I read that Windows installs a different HAL when
| it sees an SMP... so it sounds like I cant do this at boot time each
| time.. it has to be a one-time decision during installation?
|
| Basically, I want to know if I can write non-SMP aware drivers in
| someway on a IBM T60 that has a core2duo processor engine.
|
| Thanks!
|

 

[on3lonestar]

So if I got it right from the Intel manual:

Basically, Intel treats all these
dual-core/hyperthreading/multiprocessor systems as multi-processor ones

(logical/physical). At system reset/boot, one of them is "arbitrarily"
chosen as a BSP (boot strap proc) and the others are set as APs
(application processors). The BSP executes OS init code.. and APs end
up in halted state. The OS code, if MP-aware, now sends an interrupt to

the APs to start them. If its UP, the APs are not sent any interrupt,
and so they remain dormant in their halted state.


So in theory, a uniprocessor kernel when run on a HT/MP/Dual-core
system should run as if there is exactly one processor on the system..
right?