Test Papers / Previous Question Papers of IGNOU CS12 Computer Architecture June 1997

ADCA / MCA (III Yr)
Term-End Examination

June, 1997

CS12 : Computer Architecture

Time: 3 hours
Maximum Marks: 75

1. (a) Compare and contrast the characteristics of control flow versus Data flow computers.

(b) What is meant by Superscalar processors? Explain the concept of pipelining in superscalar processors.

(c) What is meant by m-way memory interleaving? Describe the C-access memory scheme.

(d) What is the Cache coherence problem? What are the Cache inconsistencies resulting from it? Give a solution to this problem.

(e) What are the issues relating to Multithreading? What are the solutions to these issues?

(f) Write a short note on the language feature needed for parallelism.

2. Describe the following terms in the context of computer architecture:

(i) Systolic arrays
(ii) Hypercube
(iii) Omega Network
(iv) Scalability
(v) Scalability Matrix

3. (a) What is VLIW architecture? Explain pipelining in VLIW processors.

(b) Compare and contrast Central Arbitration with Distributed Arbitration.

(c) What is the purpose of prefetch buffers in instruction pipelining?

4. (a) What is multivector computing? What are the various types of vector instructions? Discuss the S-Access memory organisation for vector processors.

(b) Differentiate between static versus dynamic dataflow computers.

5. Describe the following terms in the context of computer architecture and parallel programming:

(i) Microtasking in Cray Multiprocessor
(ii) Auto tasking in Cray Multiprocessors
(iii) Monitors
(iv) Asynchronous message passing
(v) Multicomputers

6. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Multitasking bottlenecks in conventional UNIX
(ii) Multithreaded UNIX kernel
(iii) Minisupercomputers
(iv) Locality of references
(v) Translation Look aside buffer