Processors with multiple cores are commonplace these days, creating a need for new tools that make parallel programming easier. To help programmers write code that makes use of multiple cores comes Intel Parallel Studio, which works hand-in-hand with Microsoft Visual Studio. During eWEEK Labs' tests, Intel Parallel Studio effectively identified and helped remediate problems in code, enabling developers to fine-tune programs for use with multiple cores.
Parallel programming is not easy. I remember back in my computer science
college courses years ago studying the problems involved in writing algorithms
that make use of parallel processors. This was in the late 1980s, when parallel
programming was basically understood but the tools to accomplish it were
lacking. Multiprocessor computers were rare back then, so such tools weren't
very important to everyday programmers.
Today, however, processors with multiple cores are commonplace, which has
created a need for new tools that make parallel programming easier.
To help programmers write code that makes use of multiple cores,
Intel has
released Intel Parallel Studio, which works hand-in-hand with Microsoft
Visual Studio (and supports only Microsoft Windows, XP or higher).
Intel Parallel Studio consists of the following components:
-Parallel Inspector, an analysis tool that will locate threading and memory
problems;
-Parallel Composer, the set of tools that includes the Intel C++ compiler
and associated libraries;
-Parallel Amplifier, an analysis tool that analyzes the performance of your
program; and
-Parallel Advisor Lite, a tool that guides you through several steps to help
prepare your program for parallelism. (Technically, Parallel Advisor Lite isn't
part of the Intel Parallel Studio but is a separate download available for free
at
http://whatif.intel.com.)
I tested Intel Parallel Studio and found no problems-despite looking for
some. It's a superior product and definitely something a C++ programmer should
check out.
To see screenshots of Intel Parallel Studio, click here.
Applications developed with Intel Parallel Studio will be forward-compatible
with future Intel multicore processors, including "Larrabee," a
general-purpose multicore X86-based processor Intel is developing with
high-performance graphics capabilities built in.
Intel refers to this forward compatibility as future-scalable-that is,
applications built with Parallel Studio will work with processors that have
more cores than today's processors have, and will take advantage of the
additional cores.
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