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<H1><A ID="SECTION00050000000000000000"> Thinking Concurrently</A> </H1>
<P> We have covered a lot of ground. We have laid out the dimensions of concurrent processing, and we have seen how an actual <EM>portable</EM> multitasker is built, and the many issues involved. Now the challenge is <EM>thinking concurrently</EM>! (see figure for a few rules of thumb)
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<DIV class="CENTER"><A ID="169"></A> <TABLE> <CAPTION class="BOTTOM"><STRONG>Figure:</STRONG> Thinking Concurrently – A Few Rules of Thumb</CAPTION> <TR><TD><IMG STYLE="height: 314.00ex; " SRC="img32.png" ALT="
<P> Concurrency buys us modularization, the ability to divide our programs into their logical ``tasks'' – in the full sense of the word. It also buys us performance. But the price is high. We must face complex issues of managing resources and insuring data integrity. A big problem with concurrent systems, especially distributed systems, is ``getting them right.'' The concurrency issues introduced in this article are just the tip of the iceberg of big current fields of research. For example, Transaction Management.
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<DIV class="CENTER"><A ID="174"></A> <TABLE> <CAPTION class="BOTTOM"><STRONG>Figure:</STRONG> Table of Commercial Multitaskers</CAPTION> <TR><TD><IMG STYLE="height: 314.00ex; " SRC="img33.png" ALT="
<P> No language extension can provide a complete solution. As alluded to in the discussion on resources, new operating systems need to be written to take real advantage of concurrency (Microsoft's OS/2 is just the beginning). Nevertheless, Mailbox will allow you to explore, so you can learn and appreciate all the goods and evils concurrent processing has to offer you.
<P> <BLOCKQUOTE> <EM> Michael Benjamin Parker is a Junior at MIT majoring in Computer Science. The Mailbox Multitasker presented here is part of his larger research project, SHARE, a shared-information distributed operating system for personal computers. He can reached from his California home address: 721 E. Walnut Ave, Orange, CA 92667-6833 (714) 639-9497. </EM>
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