[57North] Cluster

[Tony Travis]

On 12/02/14 14:45, Tom Jones wrote:
> [...]
> 1. What will we use the cluster for?
>             - If we have a particular tool in mind, it might mean that
> we have to build the cluster in
>               a certain way.

Hi, Tom.

Glad you're interested in using the machines :-)

They used to be part of a oneSIS cluster running Ubuntu 10.04 LTS:

  http://onesis.org/

However, me and Iain have been looking at "Qlustar" recently:

  https://qlustar.com/

This is commercial software, but 'free' for non-profit use. I think it's
worth a look - We built a four-node Qlustar cluster at the Debian-Med
Sprint in Stonehaven:

  https://wiki.debian.org/DebianMed/Meeting/Aberdeen2014_Report

> 2. What OS should we use?
>             - I would like to use a BSD, I don't know  enough to
> demonstrate insanity on that 
>               path.

Well, BSD is not used much for HPC these days and most of the systems I
know about use one form or another of Linux. I guess a lot of the BSD
userland is now present in Linux and there is less incentive to go out
on a limb just to be different: "Hi Linux... I'm not Linux! Well, you
look like Linux... I'm NOT!! I'm completely different, but I do a lot of
the same things the same way" ;-)

> 3. What task distribution libs/programming tools do we need.

Well, a friend of mine wants people to do some 'volunteer' computing
with "Boinc" - ask Iain for the (in)correct pronunciation :-)

  http://twin1a.dermacloud.uni-luebeck.de/autodockvina_exp_acc

> If we can answer these I think we will be in a good place to start.

The best place to start is understanding Amdahl's Law:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amdahl%27s_law

Then, decide if you want to do 'embarassingly' parallel (like Boinc),
MPI-parallel (Message passing Interface), SMP-parallel (Symmetric
Multi-Processing) or SSI (Single System Image) computing. Personally,
I'm very interested in SSI and would like to resurrect the ailing
Kerrighed project:

  http://kerrighed.org/
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1030849

You might need to coax the 'bad' machine back to life, but please don't
dump them because they can at the very least be used for spares and it
would be quite cheap to replace faulty the Opteron 200 motherboards.

Let me know how you get on,

  Tony.

-- 
Minke Informatics Limited, Registered in Scotland - Company No. SC419028
Registered Office: 15 Highfield Avenue, Banchory, AB31 4FB Scotland (UK)
tel. +44(0)1330 824292                    http://minke-informatics.co.uk
mob. +44(0)7985 078324        mailto:tony.travis at minke-informatics.co.uk