Number of Processors in the server in Task Manager ?

[vrcatherine]

We have a dual Xeon processor server. (2 x 2.4ghz)

When i check the Task manager for CPU usage/CPU usage history it shows up 4 boxes in CPU usage history.

What does this represent.? I had read someone saying that each box in the CPU Usage History represents 1 processor,how come its showing up 4 boxes for me then.


--Thanks
Cathy

 

[ReddLefty]

It's called Hyper-Threading. It splits your CPU in half in order to split your taskload in half also. Check the Intel site for HyperThreading.

You can probably toggle the state of HyperThreading to on or off in your BIOS.

Read up on it, and depending what you need your server to do, you may want HT on or off.

I don't even think Windows 2000 supports Hyper-Threading, but this is another topic.



"In space, nobody can hear you click..."

 

[kmcferrin]

The newer revisions of the Pentium4 and Pentium4-based Xeon processors support SMT, or Symmetric Multi-Threading. Basically the processors are built in a way that allows two threads to run simultaneously on a single CPU, whereas before they would run individually. Theoretically this will improve performance, especially in multi-tasking. However, Windows detects the SMT processors as 2 separate processors for the purposes of Task Manager and the Sytem Information page of the Computer Management MMC.

 

[vrcatherine]

Thanks

 

[kmcferrin]

Correction to my previous post. SMT is Simultaneous Mult-Threading, not Symmetric. At any rate, SMT is the general term for the technology and HyperThreading is Intel's "brand name" for what everyone else calls SMT.

Windows 2000 does support it, as evidenced by the fact that he's showing extra CPUs in the task manager. Any multi-threaded (aka, multi-CPU capable) OS should support it without any problem.