In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, kegwasher wrote: > Thanks for the hint I will check there. I have used the knoppix cluster CD > to make a 4 machine cluster with two waiting on parts.
> The knoppix/debian > packages have MPI available but I am trying to figure out if the Syclad > beowulf version is better or just more hype. It depends on what your criteria are. It is not free, but it gives you the best method of syncronizing the installations, and you will be increasing your performance and boot process: - the software is only installed on the master node - the clients can boot from the master, and they can be diskless and boot via PXE over the ethernet, or if your hardware does not support that, with a small bootloader on the harddisk or bootfloppy. So you avoid version skew - if a client runs old software, just reboot it :-) Performancewise: Only a very minimal kernel runs on the compute nodes, and only two low-impact processes: one process accepting new jobs and one process returning status info to the master. All the rest of the CPU/memory is dedicated to your actual compute tasks. And you can just plug in another node into your network, and have it join the cluster simply by PXE booting it. No installation necessary. > Looking to do some CFD and > FEA analysis and want to maximize my output while minimizing my input. I > am also trying to work out the best method of syncronizing the > installations without hurting performance or making the boot process take > to long. My current thought is to use a list of .debs on the server and > make apt-get look there from each node at boot to ensure all are playing > the same song on the same page. Michael Will -- Michael Will, Linux Sales Engineer Tel: 415.358.2673 Toll Free: 888-PENGUIN PENGUIN COMPUTING - The World's Most Reliable Linux System www.penguincomputing.com -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
