For example, let's assume you use ILOG CPLEX to optimize MIP models on an eight processor machine, and you have purchased an ILOG CPLEX license for four parallel threads. Then you can use the Interactive Optimizer command set threads i, substituting values 1 through 4 for i. You will not be able to set the thread count higher than 4 because you are licensed for a maximum of four threads.

If you set the number of threads to a value less than the number of processors, the remaining processors will be available for other jobs on your platform. Simultaneously running multiple parallel jobs with a total number of threads exceeding the number of processors may impair the performance of each individual processor as its threads compete with one another.