MS Parallel Programming

Microsoft has released an early preview of ParallelFX (Parallel Extensions to the .Net Framework), a set of programming tools designed to help developers approach issues related to coding for parallel environments. ParallelFX contains new APIs to make programming on the .Net Framework simpler and to support documentation and samples. Microsoft's S. "Soma" Somasegar wrote in a blog post that ParallelFX runs on the .Net Framework 3.5 and relies on features available in C# 3.0 and Visual Basic 9.0. ParallelFX also includes imperative data and task parallelism APIs, including parallel "for" and "foreach" loops, to make the transition from sequential to parallel programs simpler, as well as declarative data parallelism in the form of data parallel implementation of LINQ-to-Objects, which allows users to run LINQ queries on multiple processors. A new MSDN center dedicated to concurrent programming was also launched with the ParallelFX release and features a collection of whitepapers, including one that describes the broader vision for parallel computing at Microsoft. "The shift to multi- and many-core processors that is currently underway presents an exciting opportunity for everyone in the software industry," Somasegar writes in his blog. "With an expected increase of 10 to 100 times today's compute power, the opportunities to deliver powerful and immersive new user experiences and business value are just awesome."