< computer , parallel > A kind of parallel processor where the parallel processors have no I/O except via a bus or other connection to a front-end processor which handles all I/O to disks, terminals and network.
In some antiquated IBM mainframe s, a second CPU was provided that could not access I/O devices, known as the slave or attached processor, while the CPU having access to all devices was known as the master processor.
(1995-03-19)