Optimizing Managed Code For Multi-Core Machines

Multi-cpu systems and multicore processors are becoming ever more common, but writing code that actually takes advantage of those multiple processors is still considered arcane and unintuitive.

In the October issue of MSDN Magazine, Daan Leijen and Judd Hall demonstrate how the Task Parallel Library (TPL) simplifies writing managed code that can automatically use multiple processors.

To demonstrate, Daan and Judd took an existing ray tracer written by Luke Hoban and modified it to run in parallel using TPL.

If you missed my post on it last week, the October issue also includes an article by , Joe Duffy and Ed Essey introducing Parallel Language Integrated Query (PLINQ), a query execution engine that accepts any LINQ-to-Objects or LINQ-to-XML query and automatically utilizes multiple processors or cores for execution.

Enjoy!

Terrence Dorsey