Tehtäväparallellisuutta

Tehtäväparallellisuutta, often translated as task parallelism or job parallelism, is a concept in computer science that refers to the simultaneous execution of multiple independent tasks or processes. This is achieved by distributing these tasks across different processing units, such as multiple cores of a CPU, multiple processors, or even multiple networked computers. The primary goal of task parallelism is to improve overall system performance by increasing the rate at which work can be completed.

Unlike data parallelism, which involves dividing a large dataset and processing each part on a separate processor, task parallelism focuses on executing different operations concurrently. Each task operates on its own data and performs a distinct computational function. For example, in a video editing application, one task might handle rendering a video segment, another might be applying visual effects, and a third could be encoding the final output. These tasks can run in parallel if sufficient processing resources are available.

Implementing task parallelism typically involves a scheduler that manages the distribution and execution of tasks. This scheduler assigns tasks to available processing units and handles synchronization if any dependencies exist between tasks. The effectiveness of task parallelism is heavily dependent on the number of independent tasks, the overhead associated with managing and distributing them, and the availability of parallel processing hardware. Efficient task parallelism can lead to significant speedups, especially in applications with diverse and independent computational workloads. However, poorly designed task parallelism can introduce overhead that negates performance gains.