Daniel Herrington wrote: > Tim wrote, On 06/01/2011 08:31 PM: > >> Hi Wayne, >> >> >>> I have a question about user applications using broadcast on a LAN. >>> >>> I usually have several processes that connect via TCP/IP to a central >>> server that solves some optimization problems. In more demanding project >>> that I am working on now, I hope to distribute the optimization problem >>> between 24 to 36 helper processes. >>> >>> At the start of each optimization job, I will have a few data files that >>> need to be distributed to each of the helper optimization processes. >>> Rather than have the central optimizer / server send these files 24 >>> times, some way to broadcast these files to all machines / processes at >>> the same time might be nice. >>> >>> Is that the kind of thing that broadcasting could accomplish? >>> >>> And if so, and in a big picture way, how would one do it? >>> >> You could use broadcast, yes. Most likely you would want to use UDP >> for this, since TCP handshakes and broadcast doesn't really mix. To >> accomplish this, you would simply have each helper process listen for >> the broadcast messages and then send results back to the central >> server at the server's unicast address. >> >> However, a "sexier" way of accomplishing the same thing would be to >> use multicast. This would allow you to distribute the broadcast >> messages scalably across router boundaries. Multicast is really >> powerful for specific applications like this and I hope it catches on >> some day, since it can completely replace distribution models like >> bittorrent. >> > I have found that in most enterprise environments, network admins have > shutdown multicast at the routers. One of the applications we work with > uses multicast for data sync, and invariably we need the network guys to > open up multicasting across subnets. > > Not sure if it's a concern for the project you're working on, but if you > go that route I would check with the network guys. > No network admins here. Simple little LAN in an industrial environment, half a dozen hex-core Linux boxes, a couple of 3D imagers and some ethernet I/O.
Thanks for your response Wayne _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
