multicomputer-- A computer made up of several computers.

The term generally refe rs to an architecture in which each processor has its own memory rather than mul tiple processors with a shared memory. Something similar to parallel computing. Distributed computing deals with hardware and software systems containing more t han one processing element or storage element, concurrent processes, or multiple programs, running under a loosely or tightly controlled regime. A multicomputer may be considered to be either a loosely coupled NUMA computer o r a tightly coupled cluster. Multicomputers are commonly used when strong comput er power is required in an environment with restricted physical space or electri cal power. Common suppliers include Mercury Computer Systems, CSPI, and SKY Computers. Common uses include 3D medical imaging devices and mobile radar. In distributed computing a program is split up into parts that run simultaneousl y on multiple computers communicating over a network. Distributed computing is a form of parallel computing, but parallel computing is most commonly used to des cribe program parts running simultaneously on multiple processors in the same co mputer. Both types of processing require dividing a program into parts that can run simultaneously, but distributed programs often must deal with heterogeneous environments, network links of varying latencies, and unpredictable failures in the network or the computers. multiprocessor-- A multiprocessor system is simply a computer that has more than one CPU on its motherboard. If the operating system is built to take advantage of this, it can run different processes (or different threads belonging to the s ame process) on different CPUs. Multiprocessing is the use of two or more central processing units (CPUs) within a single computer system. The term also refers to the ability of a system to su pport more than one processor and/or the ability to allocate tasks between them. [1] There are many variations on this basic theme, and the definition of multipr ocessing can vary with context, mostly as a function of how CPUs are defined (mu ltiple cores on one die, multiple chips in one package, multiple packages in one system unit, etc.).