[SGVLUG] linux cluster redo

[Ted Arden]

***top post warning***

vmware is free now.  if your goal is learning
how to admin a cluster, build a virtual one
first.  much cheaper, and you could reconfig it
at will and use virtual nics to simulate whatever
speed you want.

just my $0.02.

=ted=

On Wed, 2 Aug 2006, Michael Proctor-Smith wrote:

> On 8/2/06, jmd <jmd8800 at charter.net> wrote:
> >
> > On Aug 2, 2006, at 5:25 PM, Erik Espinoza wrote:
> >
> > > Hey Jeff,
> > >
> > > Clusters are a generic term for a type of technology. It really
> > > depends on what you are trying to do. An Apache web cluster is
> > > different than a MPICH farm or a parallel job farm.
> >
> > this was mentioned in the posts in the spring. i know very little
> > about sys administration. this is a two fold project. one to actually
> > sit down and decide what hardware suits my needs and then learn a bit
> > about administering the cluster. and as said before, this is just a
> > *home project*. my thoughts are to focus on doing
> > climateprediction.net  for starters and use something like npaci-
> > rocks as it come with everything needed like a good MPI.
> >
> > what i am looking at hardware wise is older opteron/xeon based
> > systems with gigabit ethernet. (i certainly cannot afford an sgi
> > altix with itaniums and NUMAflex interconnects.) one of the questions
> > i kick around is, should i have a single processor motherboard or
> > dual or even quad? i know in the sgi origins the NUMAflex
> > architecture affords global addressing. without global addressing
> > there might be serious latency issues. if i am using gigabit ethernet
> > will i be having latency problems if i use 4 systems each with dual
> > or quad cpus? it would seem to me that the cpu interconnects on a
> > multiprocessor board would be much faster than the gigabit ethernet
> > from board to board. so one board contains results and another board
> > is still working. board one might be sitting there tapping its foot
> > waiting for board two.
> >
> > getting back to the original question... i don't know enough to know
> > what i want. :) something under 1000$ i can play with to learn. not
> > being a computer professional i am not sure of what questions to ask.
> > or proper terminology.
>
> Your best is to figure out your application and ask the application
> specific list what is the best hardware configuration. But ingeneral 1
> socket baords are about half as expenise as 2 socket boards which can
> be many times less expensise lthen 4 socket boards. So if your
> application is not optimized for a cluster of smp nodes go with 1 or 2
> cpu(exept that dual core and hyperthreading give you more logical cpus
> per cpu socket). Just so you know in-general you have a problem first
> then a solution that requires a cluster then you find the best
> hardware for the solution.
>
> > jeff
> >
> >
> > >
> > > Then there are specific app clusters, like some gentoo users use
> > > distcc to compile from stage 1 in under 3 months.
> >
> >
> > >
> > > Erik
> > >
> > > On 8/2/06, jmd <jmd8800 at charter.net> wrote:
> > >> last spring i asked a question about having a very fast head node in
> > >> comparison to the other nodes.  that particular set of hardware was
> > >> not working out (cheap stuff from ebay) and i canned the project
> > >> until i got moved into a new place. since i parted those ibm eseries
> > >> out to recover my money i need to look at buying hardware again.
> > >>
> > >> someone on this list mentioned they had a lot of experience with
> > >> clusters. if i could, i'd like to pick your brain a little bit before
> > >> i start buying again. if you are still interested in offering some
> > >> advice please contact me off list.
> > >>
> > >> i know :)....i should archive my email so this request would not be
> > >> necessary.
> > >>
> > >> thanks
> > >> jeff duncan
> > >>
> >
>